April 4, 2018

Cornbread Crusted Chicken Milanese w/ Lemon Truffle Aioli

I made you something for SPRING!

It’s bright, light, and gorgeously sunny. Not to mention it cooks in just 30 minutes.

Since you guys love my skillet chicken parm and grilled chicken milanese, I decided to combine the two into a hybrid meal. And since we’re getting ready for warm weather, long days, and sun, sun SUN!, I wanted this yellow. So I coated this variation in HOMEMADE CORNBREAD CRUMBS (omg). And the results are straight-up outrageous.

You start by amply seasoning thin-sliced chicken breasts in salt, pepper, and paprika. You can pound the chicken breasts yourself (great for anger management) or get your butcher to do it, so choose whichever works best. Once seasoned lightly coat each breast in stone ground corn meal, then dredge in egg. Lastly roll in homemade cornbread crumbs until thickly covered, then transfer to a clean plate or cutting board. At this stage things are ALREADY looking amazing, so do a little happy dance if you please.

As for the homemade cornbread crumbs, you can do one of two things. You can buy a box of Jiffy, because sometimes life needs shortcuts. OR you can follow the homemade recipe below, which naturally is bomb as hell. Now I’ll be frank and admit that making the cornbread crumbs does make this recipe a tad long. But since this is a crowd pleaser this serves many, so it’s worth it. Plus it’s DELICIOUS, so it’s worth. Andddd you can prep the cornbread days in advance. So again — Worth it!

Anyhoo, while you bread the chicken warm a cast iron or oven-proof skillet in the oven while it heats. When you’re ready, swirl about a tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet to coat the bottom, then neatly add the chicken breasts. Immediately return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then drizzle with more olive oil, flip, and cook for 15 minutes more. While cooking the chicken will get crackling, crisp, and GOLDEN, which is exactly what you want. The aromas are unsurprisingly incredible as well, so get ready to enjoy that too.

Once the chicken is cooked smother with lemon truffle aioli — homemade, 2 mins, SO good — and some micro greens + fresh corn nibs on the side. The taste is a killer concoction of fresh, cozy, and crisp, with the undeniable spirit of spring.

It basically tastes just as cheery as it looks, so if these pics make you smile, you’re in for a great meal. Xo

Cornbread Crusted Chicken Milanese w/ Lemon Truffle Aioli

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

  • CORNBREAD:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal, sifted
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • a few pinches of salt
  • 3 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 large egg, whisked
  • 1 cup skim milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • shortening to grease
  • CHICKEN:
  • 1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • a few pinches salt & pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup stone ground corn meal
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups cornbread crumbs*
  • 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • AIOLI:
  • 1/2 cup reduced-far mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsps crushed or minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 tbsps truffle flavored olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Amply grease an 8″ x 10″ baking dish with shortening.
  2. Begin by baking the cornbread. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder, whisking to combine. Next add the egg, skim milk, and canola oil to the bowl, stirring thoroughly until the batter takes shape. Transfer the batter to the greased baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula as you do. Bake on oven middle rack for 22 minutes until just cooked through but not completely browned. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
  3. Lower oven temperature to 300F. Once the cornbread is cool enough to handle, transfer to a food processor and pulse into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a baking sheet, then lightly toast on oven middle rack for 10 – 12 minutes, stirring once. You want the crumbs to gently crisp, not burn. These can be stored in an airtight container or sealed bag for 1 week.
  4. Raise oven temperature back to 400F. Place a cast iron skillet or oven-proof skillet in the oven while heating.
  5. On a cutting board amply season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides. Next, working one breast at a time coat the chicken in corn meal, then dip in the egg mixture, allowing the excess to run off. Lastly dredge in the cornbread crumbs until evenly coated on both sides and around the edges, then transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining breasts.
  6. Remove the heated skillet from the oven and grease the bottom with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, swirling to coat. Transfer the breaded chicken breasts to the skillet, then immediately return to the oven and bake on the oven middle rack for 15 minutes. When ready, drizzle the top of each cutlet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then flip and bake 15 minutes more.
  7. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl combine the aioli ingredients, whisking until smooth.
  8. Once the chicken is cooked immediately eat, drizzling with the lemon truffle aioli when plating.
posted by Christine in: Crowd Pleasers
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