Chicken Milanese with Lemon Butter Sauce
Chicken Milanese with Lemon Butter Sauce, wow! Sounds fancy doesn’t it? Sounds like something you’d order in a fancy Italian restaurant. It brings to mind the city of Milan, one of the world’s most fashionable city.
The name doesn’t lie, Chicken Milanese simply means Chicken made Milan style. It is one of the signature dishes of Milan; in Italian it’s called “Pollo alla Milanese”. Are you impressed yet? Traditionally it was made with veal, Cotoletta alla Milanese, but chicken has become a popular alternative.
Well let me tell you the first time I ever had Pollo alla Milanese was in a chic little restaurant in Cernobbio, a town on Lake Como about 40 kilometers away from Milan. And yes I ordered it because I thought with such a grand name it must be something different. Imagine my surprise when the waiter set a fried chicken cutlet in front of me and it didn’t even have any gravy!
Yup that’s what Pollo alla Milanese is, a battered and fried chicken cutlet. If we were talking Southern cooking it would be called chicken fried chicken and chicken fried steak if veal were used instead of chicken.
But because it’s an Italian style cutlet it’s not smothered in gravy and served with mashed potatoes and corn, like the perfect Southern comfort food. Instead it’s usually served with a bed of crisp fresh greens like an arugula salad. Instead of gravy they usually squeeze a slice of lemon over the cutlet or top it with a light lemony butter sauce. As far as I can determine that’s the only difference between chicken fried chicken and Chicken Milanese.
Well whatever you call it it’s still delicious! A bit fussy to make (you have to cut, pound, dredge, dip, bread, and fry) but so worth the time and trouble. I make it at home and serve it both ways, Milanese and fried cutlet with gravy, depending on what I’m hungry for. Either way my family loves them!
Here’s the recipe for Chicken Milanese with Lemon Butter Sauce!
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Ingredients:
4 Pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – sliced horizontally to make 8 thin slices
2 Cups Flour
3 Eggs beaten
2 Cups Panko or breadcrumbs – I prefer Panko which can be found at Asian Markets, but bread crumbs work fine
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Oil for frying
For the Sauce:
4 Tbs Butter
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup White Wine
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
Procedure:
Using a kitchen mallet pound breasts to 1/4″ thickness
Pounding chicken breasts between plastic wrap keeps chicken juices from splattering all over the kitchen counters.
Set aside while you get the other ingredients ready.
Beat eggs in another shallow dish or bowl
Mix Panko with grated cheese and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish or bowl
Line bowls up in order (flour, egg, Panko) next to the stove. This makes the frying process so much easier and neater.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Oil will be hot enough if it sizzles when you drop a piece of panko in it.
Dredge a slice of chicken in flour making sure both sides are completely covered
Dip both sides of chicken in egg
Dip both sides of chicken in Panko mixture
Drain on paper towel
Serve with Roasted Potatoes and Lemon Butter Sauce
Sauce:
Melt 1 Tbl Butter in saucepan
Saute garlic in butter until it starts to brown
Stir in cream, stock, and wine until well combined
Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat
Whisk in remaining butter 1 tbs at a time
Stir in seasoning and lemon juice
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Serve over Chicken Milanese
- 4 Pcs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts sliced horizontally to make 8 thin slices
- 2 Cups flour
- 3 Lg Eggs
- 2 Cups Panko
- 1 Tbs Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese Freshly grated
- Oil For frying
- 4 Tbs Butter
- 1 Tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Cup heavy cream
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 Tbs Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap - you will have to do this with 2-4 pieces at a time Using a kitchen mallet pound breasts to 1/4" thickness Pounding chicken breasts between plastic wrap keeps chicken juices from splattering all over the kitchen counters. Set aside while you get the other ingredients ready.
- Mix flour and garlic powder together and place in a shallow dish or bowl Beat eggs in another shallow dish or bowl Mix Panko with grated cheese and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish or bowl Line bowls up in order (flour, egg, Panko) next to the stove. This makes the frying process so much easier and neater.
- place in a shallow dish or bowl Beat eggs in another shallow dish or bowl Mix Panko with grated cheese and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish or bowl Line bowls up in order (flour, egg, Panko) next to the stove. This makes the frying process so much easier and neater. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Oil will be hot enough if it sizzles when you drop a piece of panko in it. Dredge a slice of chicken in flour making sure both sides are completely covered Dip both sides of chicken in egg Dip both sides of chicken in Panko mixture
- Place in frying pan and fry both sides about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown Drain on paper towel Serve with Roasted Potatoes and Lemon Butter Sauce
- Melt 1 Tbl Butter in saucepan Saute garlic in butter until it starts to brown Stir in cream, stock, and wine until well combined Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat Whisk in remaining butter 1 tbs at a time Stir in seasoning and lemon juice Season with salt and pepper to taste Serve over Chicken Milanese
