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Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients

Before Cooking

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced or pounded thin
  • 1 cup buttermilk

To Cook

  • 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs or so
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • If you're using frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts, slice them thinly when they're partially defrosted. If you start with fresh chicken, put them between parchment paper one at a time and pound until the pieces are thin.
  • Marinade the chicken pieces in some buttermilk and refrigerate. If you don't have buttermilk you can use plain yogurt. If you don't have either you can skip this step but I do like the flavor it seems to add.
  • When you're ready to cook, pull the chicken out of the refrigerator while you prepare a few pie pans or other small flat dishes. Put the flour in one and stir in some salt and pepper. Put the egg in another and whisk in some soy sauce and  lemon juice or even just water to thin it down a little. Put the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a third. 
  • Heat enough oil to cover 1/4" inch or so in a large frying pan.  Test by throwing a pinch of flour in. When it sizzles, the oil is ready.
  • Use two forks to move the chicken pieces from buttermilk to flour, flipping to coat both sides, then to egg, flipping again to coat both sides, then to breadcrumbs, flipping again to coat both sides. Lay them on a rack until all the pieces are breaded. 
  • When your oil is hot, carefully add the chicken and cook a few minutes per side,  turning once. The timing will depend on how thick your chicken pieces are. Later you'll gain a feel for how "done" chicken cutlets feel when you poke a fork through them.) Pull one out and cut it in half to test for doneness until you get a feel for them. 
  •  Lift up and let as much oil drain as possible.   Then drain on paper towels and keep warm while you finish cooking. You can keep them warm in the oven. You'll probably need to add some more oil at some point. Just give it time to heat up before you start cooking more chicken. 

Notes

You may need more flour or bread crumbs or egg, depending on how thin you cut or pounded your chicken.