Dave's Crispy Parmigiano-Crusted Chicken with Spinach Caprese Salad

Ingredients

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, separated and cut in half across
Salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/1 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
2 lemons, zest of 1 and juice of both
4 to 6 cups baby arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

2 small shallots, thinly sliced
Fresh mozzarella balls, for garnish

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Arrange a piece of the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound out with a mallet until about 1/4-inch thick and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.

Arrange the beaten egg, flour and breadcrumbs mixed with the cheese in three separate shallow dishes. Season all the pounded chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place in the flour then the egg and finally the breadcrumb-cheese mixture. Reserve coated cutlets on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Place a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot and working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, add chicken and cook until golden on both sides, a couple of minutes. Remove and repeat until all the chicken has been cooked. Keep cooked pieces warm by placing them on a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet in a low oven.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the baby spinach Caprese salad. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice with 2 tablespoons EVOO. In a serving bowl, combine the arugula, cherry tomatoes and sliced shallots. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the greens and toss to lightly coat.

Arrange one to two pieces of chicken on a plate, top with the dressed salad and arrange two to three small fresh mozzarella balls on top.