Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Swiss Chard Salad
One of my favorite dishes is a simple Milanese style chicken. It is a main dish and a side all in one. You can change up the salad that tops the chicken cutlet. That is how this recipe came about. Being it is close to Valentines Day, all things red and pink are on my mind. When I saw the bright red stalks of the swiss chard in the store my mind started working. Not only did I want to use the leafy greens but sprinkle the the crunchy red pieces of the stalk throughout.
I ended up slicing the crunchy stalks and letting them sit in a quick pickle. While I sauteed the Swiss chard in anchovy and capers for an extra burst of flavor. I also created a creamy garlicky, Parmesan, dressing to top it all off.
Garlic Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Swiss Chard Salad
ingredients
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thin sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lemon zested (about 2 tsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
Swiss Chard
1 large bunch of swiss chard (usually around 6-8 stalks), leaves torn off, ribs reserved
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp capers
2 anchovy fillets
1 cup red stalks, chopped or sliced
1/8 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp white vinegar
Parmesan Garlic Dressing
1/2 sour cream
3/4 cup mayo
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 garlic clove chopped
salt
pepper
instructions
In a dish, whisk eggs. Place the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper in another shallow bowl. Toss together with a fork until well combined.
In a large saute pan with high sides heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Dredge a piece of chicken in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Then coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs mixture on both sides.
Then add to the pan and let it saute for about 3'-4 minutes on each side, until chicken is golden brown on each side. Then set aside the pieces of chicken on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat the process for each piece of chicken.
Prepare the Swiss Chard
Wash the swiss chard and tear pieces from the stem/rib. Or run a knife along the stem. If the leafy pieces are long give them a tear or cut in half.
Chop the stems as you would a stick of celery. Cut as much as you need to fill 1 cup. Then take the one cup of the chopped stems and place them into a small bowl. Add in the sugar, salt, and white vinegar. Give it a toss and let it sit as you prepare the rest of the dish.
In the same saute pan add another tbsp of oil. Make sure to take a paper towel and give it a quick wipe trying to remove some of the excess breadcrumbs.
Over medium heat, add the capers and anchovy. Saute moving the anchovy and capers around the pan from time to time. Breaking up the anchovy fillets with a wooden spoon, once the anchovy fillets have mostly dissolved (about 2 minutes) add in the swiss chard.
Add about half of the swiss chard at first. Let it start to wilt down before adding the second half. Continue to gently stir until all wilted about 4 minutes.
Remove swiss chard from pan and distribute evenly over the pieces of chicken. Top with pieces of red stalk
Dressing
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, along with any leftover pan drippings. Whisk together until all incorporated. Serve on the side of the dish or drizzle over the chicken and swiss chard.
RECIPE NOTES: If your chicken breasts are not think sliced you can do it yourself! Place your palm flat against the top of each chicken breast and carefully slice each piece in half horizontally.