Ingredients

  • 6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 100g fine white bread crumbs, homemade or Panko
  • 20g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 130g white flour seasoned with a large pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne
  • 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
  • 400mL clarified butter

Directions

  1. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper and another with paper towels.
  2. If the tenders are still attached to the breasts, remove them. Use a sharp knife to remove the bit of connective tissue at the bottom of the breasts.
  3. Place one chicken breast with the underside facing up on the cutting board. Lightly rub one side of a plastic bag with olive oil and place it, oil side down, on top of the breast. Pound the underside of the breast with a kitchen mallet or an empty glass jar until its 1cm thick. Repeat with each other breast.
  4. Season the breasts and tenders lightly with salt and then set up a breading station. Set up three large, shallow bowls or roasting dishes, one each with the seasoned flour, beaten eggs, and the bread crumbs.
  5. Working like Henry Ford, coat all the breasts and tenders first in flour, then shake off the excess. Then dip and coat them all in egg, and shake off the excess. Finally, coat the pieces in bread crumbs and set them on the parchment lined baking sheet,
  6. Set a 25 or 30cm frying pan over medium high heat and add enough clarified butter to come 5mm up the sides of the pan. When the fat shimmers, add a few bread crumbs to test the temperature of the fat. As soon as they sizzle readily, place as many chicken breasts as you can fit into the pan in a single layer. There should be space between each breast, and the fat should come at least halfway of the sides of the chicken to ensure that the breading cooks evenly.
  7. Cook the breasts over medium-high heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then rotate and flip. Cook until the second side is evenly brown, remove from the pan, and drain on the sheet lined with paper towels. (if you’re unsure that the meat is cooked all the way through, poke through the breading with a paring knife and check. Return to the pan and cook longer if you see any pink flesh.) Add more clarified butter to the pan as necessary and cook the remaining breasts and tenders in the same way. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and serve immediately.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, by Samin Nosrat