For all of you feeding kids on weeknights, this is a recipe you're going to want in your hip pocket. Crispy Chicken Milanesa is from our friend Pati Jinich, mother of three ravenous boys and author of Pati's Mexican Table.
Serves 6
Breaded milanesas can be layered between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days (or frozen for up to 3 months).
Ingredients
· 2 large eggs
· 2 tablespoons milk
· 1 cup Kellogg's Corn Flake crumbs or dried bread crumbs
· 1/2 cup finely crumbled queso fresco, Cotija, ricotta salata, or mild feta
· 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chile, such as piquín, or a Mexican mix, such as Tajín, or to taste
· 1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
· 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
· Vegetable oil
Instructions
1. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Combine the corn flakes with the cheese, chile, and salt and spread on a plate.
2. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then coat it on both sides with the corn flake mixture, so the whole breast is covered. Set aside on a plate.
3. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking, 2 to 3 minutes. Add as many chicken breasts as will fit in a single layer, without crowding the pan. If the edges of the Milanesas aren't bubbling in the oil, raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, until golden brown and crisp, then gently flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the Milanesas from the pan and set them on a paper-towel-covered plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, adding more oil if needed. (If you are not serving them immediately, place the Milanesas in a baking dish, without the paper towels, and keep warm in a 250°F oven.) Serve hot.
From Pati's Mexican Table by Pati Jinich, Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
