I can’t believe that I don’t have a deep fryer. Of course I think if I did, I might have a heart attack by now lol. But I know to indulge in moderation and not fry every thing that goes into my mouth. I like the oven too. Sometimes I fry for a bit and then use the oven to finish off cooking or to keep warm. One of the things that I love to fry cook is chicken cutlets. We all have had types of chicken such as; fried chicken, chicken nuggets (fast-food or homemade), and from the deli. There is something about combining your own flavors, frying your way, and making it fresh that just takes it to the next level. You know where its from, who is cooking it, and how it is going to taste. I want to talk about the seasonings I use to make my cutlets.
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- Half Italian Seasoning Breadcrumbs and Panko.
As you can see I like using Progresso brands. If you don’t like them or can’t find them, use any brand that you can find. The Italian flavors just jump at your tongue when it is cooked. I usually just breaded the chicken with just the Italian seasoning. Now I can’t imagine it without the panko. The panko gives out such a crunch, its amazing.
2. Panko and Herbs de Provence.
I LOVE this mixture of dried herbs. It is a combination of mostly savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender leaves. You can put this in soups, potatoes, chicken, etc. Just by smelling it is a dream.
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Lets get started. This is the basics you need for either one if you are going to try.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1- 1/4 of water
2- 2 eggs
3- tablespoon of salt and pepper
4- 1/4 of grated parmesan cheese
Mix all together, add the cut up cutlets, and get your breadcrumbs ready.
If you are doing the half and half:
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1- 1 cup of Italian seasoning breadcrumbs
2- 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
If you are doing the Herbs de Provence and Panko:
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1- 2 cups of panko
2- 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence (rubs the herbs in your hands or fingers. Rubbing the herbs will let out its flavor even more)
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1- Mix the breadcrumb combination until all incorporated.
2- Use the one hand wet, one hand dry technique: Use your left hand to combine the egg wash all over the cutlets in a bowl/plate and then place it on the plate that has the breadcrumbs. Use your right hand to cover and coat the cutlet with the breadcrumbs by flipping on each side and patting down. To Double Bread: after you used your right hand to coat the cutlet, take your left hand dip the cutlet on each side with the egg wash and put into the plate with breadcrumbs. Take your right hand and coat like before.
3- Heat up your fancy fryer ; ) or you can use a frying pan. To use the frying pan put in about 1/3-1/2 a cup of vegetable oil. I like to use less in the pan and not have it covering the entire chicken once placed. I don’t like my cutlets greasy. It may take extra time but well worth it. I think if you use a fryer is great because there is nothing underneath to hold the cutlets in place (like the frying pan) so extra oil won’t creep in and stay there. Once the oil is heated about right, here is a trick to know: place a small breadcrumb in the oil and see how much it cooks up. If it is not turning brown or fizzing; the oil isn’t ready.
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6- Once cooked on both sides, place the cutlet on a cooling rack with paper towel underneath to catch any oil falling off. Once placed on the rack to dry, add a bit of salt immediately to bring out the flavor.
7- Once the cutlets were on the rack for a bit, you can serve them right away or for an added crunch and to keep them warm; put them in the oven for a few min on low heat. You don’t want to burn or over cook them.
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You can eat these on its own or with a side dish, in salads, sandwiches, etc. The list goes on. This is my go-to meal for myself, family, friends, and with the kids. It’s fun to even make your own dipping sauces : )
Do you have your own breadcrumb combo? Do you make your own breadcrumbs? Have a fancy fryer? I’d love to know…
Thanks for visiting my page and as always…
Happy Cooking.