A heaping salad made up of crisp, crunchy and flavorful antipasti is served atop a breaded chicken cutlet.
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterfly-cut them open by halving horizontally but not all the way through
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen or seed
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Safflower oil or light olive oil, for shallow frying (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons superfine sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, white or red
- ½ lemon, juiced
- About ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 heads gem romaine lettuce or 1 heart of romaine, chopped
- ¼ pound salami, cut into strips or chopped
- ¼ pound coppa hot ham, cut into strips or chopped
- ¼ pound provolone, deli-sliced (halved and sliced or chopped)
- 4 hearts of artichoke, marinated or in water, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water then drained and chopped or thinly sliced
- A handful of pitted green or black olives
- 1 large roasted red pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup drained Italian sliced cherry peppers
- ½ small bulb of fennel, very thinly sliced (optional)
If necessary, pound chicken cutlets to be ⅛ inch thick and season with salt and pepper. Line up 3 shallow bowls for the cutlet breading station. Add flour to one, eggs to one and combine breadcrumbs, spices and cheese in the last one. Season each with salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken in the flour, then the eggs and then the breading, pressing so the crumbs adhere.
Heat oil in large pan over medium to medium-high heat, about 1 cup. Cook 2 cutlets at a time and brown 2-3 minutes on each side, then drain on wire-rack lined pan.
For the dressing, add the dressing ingredients to a Mason jar and shake to combine.
For the salad, in a mixing bowl, combine lettuce with meats, cheese and vegetables, then toss to coat in dressing.
Serve cutlets topped with salad, spilling off to the side of the cutlet.
