Lizzies Chicken Cutlets Recipes

MOM'S SUPER THIN AND CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow bowl. Set aside until ready to fry.
• In a food processor, pulse the breadcrumbs with the parsley, pecorino, granulated garlic and salt until just incorporated. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a shallow dish.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise. On a sturdy cutting board, place a piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a mallet or other blunt object, pound the chicken into a flat piece about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Heat 1 cup olive oil to 350 degrees F in a 14-inch cast-iron pan with the garlic cloves. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack.
• Working in an assembly line, dredge the cutlets in the egg and then the breading. Double-bread by going back to the egg wash and back into the breading. Add the first piece of breaded chicken to the preheated oil along with 1/2 stick butter. Once the butter is mostly melted, add another piece of chicken. Fry until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F is reached, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Add more oil and butter to the pan as needed while you fry the rest of your batches, allowing the oil to come back to heat between batches. Rest on the wire rack.
• Meanwhile, preheat a 10-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until hot, then place the lemon halves, cut-side down, directly in the pan and allow to caramelize, 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve for garnish.
• Place the chicken cutlets on a large platter and garnish with freshly grated pecorino, parsley leaves and caramelized lemon halves.

THE BEST CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise making 8 roughly equal pieces. (They should look like large chicken tenders.) Place one sheet of plastic wrap on a clean cutting board. Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic wrap and top with another sheet. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Set up a standard breading station: mix the flour, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, if using, in a shallow dish.
• Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water in a second shallow dish.
• Mix the panko, Pecorino-Romano, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, in a third shallow dish.
• Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess, then dip into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat it on both sides. Let the excess egg drip off, then press the chicken firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices. Transfer the chicken back to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
• Line a clean baking sheet with a clean wire rack. Heat 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden-brown and crisp and the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the clean wire rack, season with salt and hold in the oven at 200 degrees F to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat with the remaining butter, olive oil and chicken, making 4 batches in total.
• Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

LIZZIE'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put the hen, breast side down, in an 8-quart stockpot and add water to within 2-inches of the top of the pot; this will vary according to the size of your pot, but the hen should float clear of the bottom of the pot and be covered completely. Add the salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and the drumstick joint twists easily. Allow the chicken and broth to cool slightly, and then remove the hen to a colander.
• Strain the broth into a very large bowl. Cover the broth and place in in the refrigerator. When the fat solidifies on the top of the broth, remove and discard it. Remove the chicken from the bones and cut or shred the meat by hand into small pieces. Set aside 2 cups of the broth and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use. (Leftover broth may also be frozen in individual containers to be used another time.)
• For the dumplings: Heat 2 quarts of the defatted chicken broth in a 3-quart saucepan. While it heats, put the flour in a medium bowl. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 3/4 cup water and stir the mixture into the flour to make a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Heavily flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough very thin (you can also divide the dough into 4 portions and roll each portion separately, which will give you thinner dumplings). With a very sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2 by 4-inch strips.
• When the broth reaches a rolling boil, add some of the strips of dough. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and bring back to a boil. Continue to add the dough strips in batches, always raising the heat to bring the broth back to a rolling boil before dropping in more dough strips and reducing the heat to simmer before covering the pot again. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper to taste. Add the 2 cups of cooked chicken, heat and serve.