Crispy Chicken with Basil Arugula

How we make it.

Crispy Chicken

4 chicken breasts, thin cut boneless skinless
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble a dredging situation: 1 plate of chicken, 1 plate of beaten eggs, 1 plate of breadcrumbs, salt and Parmesan. Heat a large skillet over medium high. Dip each chicken breast in egg then panko mixture, coating both sides completely. Once skillet is hot, add butter and oil. Add chicken breasts in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd. (May take two batches depending on size of your skillet.) Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, lowering the heat to medium if you see smoke. Turn chicken over and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Finish in the oven for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.

Basil Arugula

4 ounces baby arugula
Some globs of Basil Mayonnaise (you can sub lemon juice to make it even simpler)
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
5 basil leaves, torn
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved

Why we make it.

Weeknight dinners have to be fast, or they aren't happening. At any given moment I am one glass of wine away from throwing a yogurt at someone across the counter. But eating together as a family is important to me, so I make it happen. I never know when this person or that will be coming home from a neighbor's or skidding in sweaty from practice, so I have to keep things hot and ready. That means a lot of cooking on the fly. This is a great recipe for that. You can cook your chicken and leave it in the oven on warm as long as it takes for your cows to come home. A simple arugula salad takes just a second to whip up, counts as a vegetable and adds that bistro flair that says, "I tried." Everyone will agree this salty, crispy chicken breast is a satisfying end to their day. Hopefully you can eat it together. That's why we make it.