- 4
Ingredients
- 4 (6 to 8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed and breats trimmed
- table salt
- black pepper
- 3 sliced high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- lemon wedges
Preparation
Step 1
1. Use a meat pounder to pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper and set aside. Set a wire rack over a large baking sheet and set aside.
2. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, set a heat-proof plate on the rack and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Process the bread in a food processor until evenly fine-textured, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the crumbs to a pie plate or shallow dish. Spread the flour on a second plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the oil on a third plate.
3. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess. Using tongs, dip both sides of the cutlets in the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drain off. Dip both sides of the cutlets in the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs with your fingers to form an even, cohesive coat. Place the breaded cutlets on the wire rack and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay 2 cutlets gently in the skillet; cook until deep golden brown and crisp on the first side, gently pressing down on the cutlet with a metal spatula, about 2 1/2 minutes. using tongs, flip the cutlets reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed and the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes longer. Line the warmed plate with a double layer of paper towels and set the cutlets on top; return the plate to the oven.
5. Discard the oil in the skillet and wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Repeat step 4 using the remaining oil and cutlets; serve with lemon wedges.