Pan-fried chicken cutlets are a convenient weeknight dinner, but they can be a little bland. Adding layers of flavor to each component of the dish ensures delicious results. In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year ,” whole-grain Dijon mustard is whisked into the egg mixture that coats the cutlets, providing a bright, pleasantly sharp and flavorful base for the breadcrumb coating to stick to.
Seasoned cutlets are dredged in a mixture of flour and cornstarch for an extra crunchy coating, then dipped into the egg mixture before being coated with panko breadcrumbs. You can use regular Dijon mustard in place of the whole-grain, but add another splash of water when beating the eggs so the mixture has a consistency that lightly but thoroughly coats the cutlets. The cutlets are fried in shimmering oil until golden brown, then served with a tangy cucumber salad.
The freshness and crunch of the salad dressed simply with lemon and dill is the perfect foil for the rich cutlets. Don’t skip pounding the cutlets to an even thickness. This allows them to cook through completely and quickly.
CRISPY DIJON CHICKEN CUTLETS CUTLETS WITH CUCUMBER-DILL SALAD Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 4 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons whole-g.
