Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad

Many people top their salads with a chicken breast.  This is not exactly revolutionary.  But a chicken breast topped with a salad?  Now, that's a revelation.  Especially when you're talking about a breaded, pan-fried chicken breast topped with a peppery arugula salad that is studded with sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes.  Chicken Milanese is yet another dish the Italians got right.  Crunchy, savory chicken topped with a light, acidic salad are a match made in flavor-and-texture-heaven.  And it makes a very simple and satisfying weeknight dinner!  Tonight, we enjoyed this delectable dish with some roasted potatoes and a chilly, summer-ready rose´.  While this dinner is good year-round, it seems to be particularly delicious on a comfortably warm, early-summer evening :)

Chicken Milanese
(Serves 2, but can easily be multiplied)

2 thinly-sliced chicken breasts, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded very thin

Kosher salt and black pepper

Flour, for dredging

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Italian-seasoned panko breadcrumbs (You could also use plain breadcrumbs and add some dried herbs like parsley, basil, and oregano.)

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Arugula Salad 

2 big handfuls arugula (who needs measuring cups?)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 handful cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

First, season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.  Next, set up your chicken-breading station using 3 wide, shallow bowls.  In the first bowl, add the flour.  In the second bowl, beat the egg with about a tablespoon of water.  In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs.

My chicken-breading assembly line

Bread the chicken by dipping each piece in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs.  Be sure to shake off any excess flour and egg before moving on to the next step.  Sometimes with the panko breadcrumbs, I find that I need to gently press them onto the chicken to get them to stick. 

Once your chicken is breaded, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Once the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken.   

Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side.  Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and allow it to drain on a paper towel while you make the arugula salad.

Making the salad is simple: just toss the arugula and halved tomatoes with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Normally, when I make a dressing, I use a 2:1 ratio of oil to acid.  However, the breaded chicken is already very rich, so for this recipe, I use equal parts olive oil and lemon juice.  Similarly, the chicken is already plenty salty, so I go easy on the salt and heavy on the pepper in the salad.  The black pepper, spicy arugula, zingy lemon juice, and sweet tomatoes all cut the richness of this chicken and give this dish a very fresh flavor.  

Arrange the chicken breasts on a plate and top with a heaping pile of the arugula salad.