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Food May 7, 2020

Make Chef Anne Burrell's gourmet chicken Milanese with Utica greens

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Amp up your cooking game with these easy eats and recipes you can whip up in 30 minutes or less.

A perfect recipe with mom for Mother's Day -- cook right along with Ginger Zee in her kitchen.

You can make Chef Anne Burrell's gourmet chicken Milanese in a flash with just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

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@chefanneburrell failed home ec but she did not fail us tonight teaching @ginger_zee how to make this delicious chicken! Special guest: her mom Marlene ❤️

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Ingredients
For the Chicken Milanese:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumb
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 chicken breasts, pounded a little to flatten
Salt
Olive oil

Chef's Note: If the chicken breasts are large, it's a good idea to butterfly them and cut them in half. This will prevent overcooking on the outside and assure that they will be cooked through but still moist.

For the Utica Greens:
5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup diced prosciutto
5 pickled hot cherry peppers, stems and seeds removed and slivered into 1-inch pieces with 1/4 cup of their juice (optional)
1 head escarole, bottom stem removed, cut into 1-inch lengths, washed and left kinda wet
Salt
Olive oil

Directions for the chicken Milanese

Place the flour in one bowl, the egg-water mixture in another and the panko and grated cheese in a third bowl. Have a baking sheet on hand for the breaded chicken. Season the chicken with salt. Using one hand for dry ingredients and one hand for wet ingredients, run each piece of chicken through the breading procedure. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shake off the excess and give it a dip in the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mix. Really pack the bread crumbs onto the chicken. Let the chicken refrigerate for an hour. (If you didn’t think ahead, don’t sweat it. But the best results are letting the chicken hang out for at least an hour before cooking.)

Coat a large sauté pan with about 1/4 inch of oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Set up a drying situation next to the stove -- a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Test the oil to see if it is hot enough by sprinkling a little flour into the oil. It should sizzle -- if it doesn’t -- wait! Once the oil is hot, add the chicken into the pan. It is best to work in batches so you do not crowd the pan. Cook the first side of the chicken until it is golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the other side. If the oil is getting too hot, reduce the heat. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan and place it on the paper towels to blot off any excess oil. Sprinkle immediately with salt. You can keep the chicken warm by holding it in a warm oven while working on the other batch.

PHOTO: Chicken Milanese with a side salad.
Adobe Stock Images
Chicken Milanese with a side salad.

Directions for the Utica greens

Preheat the broiler.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and about half of the garlic to a large sauté pan and bring to a medium-high heat. When the garlic is very aromatic and starting to turn golden, toss in the bread crumbs and oregano and cook until the crumbs are golden brown and crispy. Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese, remove from the pan and reserve.

Coat the sauté pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Toss in the prosciutto and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the prosciutto is aromatic and starts to turn golden. Add the onions to the pan, season with salt, and cook until they are soft and aromatic, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the remaining garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the cherry peppers and their juice and stir to combine. Add the escarole to the pan, cover and cook until the escarole has wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan, season the escarole with salt, and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the greens and place in the broiler until they are crispy and brown. Remove from the heat and serve immediately!