Nigella Lawson's Crunchy Chicken Cutlets

We have officially reached chicken paradise in this recipe from the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson. This recipe alone caused me to go ahead and buy her Simply Nigella book. To see this recipe on her website, click here, or watch her make it herself in the video below.

The following recipe I'm posting is the way I make the chicken (hint, I use a different breading ingredient) and the complimentary side salad that Nigella has two versions of. Steven and I love this recipe with a side of white rice as well. It is absolutely fantastic and so deliciously easy to recreate!

Chicken Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 chicken escalopes (or breast fillets) 200-300g/8-10 oz total

7 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 cup flour

1 clove garlic (peeled and finely grated or minced)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg

75 grams Panko breadcrumbs (1 small box/can)

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Basic Side Salad Ingredients

Three handfulls of arugula

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1/2 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 avocado (optional)

Chicken Directions

1. Allow chicken to thaw, and tenderize with a meat mallet until extremely flat, but not falling apart.

2. Prepare three wide dishes or bowls for the breading process

3. In the first dish, spread out your flour

4. In the second dish, combine dijon mustard, egg, cinnamon, salt and pepper with a whisk and spread the mixture out as much as possible

5. In the third dish, combine Panko with paprika salt and pepper and spread it out

6. Repeat the breading process for each escalope, flouring it first, then dipping it thoroughly in the dredging mixture and finally covering it with the Panko breading mixture

7. Leave the escalopes on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes to allow them to dry out a bit

8. Heat oil in a cast-iron pan or heavy-based frying pan in which the chicken pieces will fit neatly and, when hot, fry for 3 minutes on the first side, then turn them over carefully and give them another 3 minutes, by which time the chicken should be cooked through in the middle, though do check.

Basic Side Salad Directions

Wash and dry arugula and place in a salad bowl

Top with halved cherry tomatoes and optional cubed avocado

Finally, create a lemon vinaigrette with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and an optional teaspoon of water, give it a good shake or stir, and squirt or pour it over the salad

Serve the chicken with the side salad and some white rice, and you're in for a night of comfort.