Parmesan Chicken

The Barefoot Contessa has a very easy recipe for Parmesan Chicken. My sister first introduced me to this dish. It was love at first bite. I have since made it for my husband, and friends. They all love it. Although it’s cooked in oil and butter, it still has a fresh and crisp taste that melts in your mouth. Fresh lemon juice is a must! It’s extremely easy and the ingredients are not exotic or expensive. It’s a lovely dish that I will continue to make, at least monthly!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 1/4 cup seasoned (Italian) dry bread crumbs
1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry (Mixed baby greens are perfect for this!)

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients.

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a roller pin. (I personally like to place my in Ziploc bags and beat them to death and not have a mess to clean up, just a baggie to toss!)

Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate or pie tin.
On second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water.
On third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.