My lady doesn’t really like chicken thighs. Which, I get, they’re a bit fatty and have a different texture than breasts, and if it’s not your thing, well then your mouth is broken, but to each their own.
She told me this as I was starting to make this dish. Which is a bad time to be finding it out, since the nearest grocery is ten minutes away, kind of far for an emergency breast run.
Also, emergency breast run is an excellent euphemism.
“So how did the party go last night?”
“Oh it was the best! I had a few Bud Light Limes, then I started talking to this totally hot chick, and we were feeling it, and next thing you know we’re in the spare bedroom making an emergency breast run.”
“Dude, what the fuck?? You were drinking Bud Light Lime?? What is wrong with you? Nice job scoring though.”
Anyways, this takes a little work, but it’s definitely worth it. Definitely follow the recipe and make the mushrooms before you start breading the chicken, you don’t want to be doing both at the same time. Also, pounding out the thighs is helpful and will probably give you a more consistent product, but I forgot to do that and they turned out just fine.
CAN I MAKE A MESS WITH THIS RECIPE?
Absolutely!
SWEET, HOW?
Pounding out the chicken is a pain, if you put them in a plastic bag it’s far less messy and is probably better for the chicken anyways.
WUSS! STILL WAITING…
Ok, have you ever pan-fried anything?
NO! YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION!!
So you have to set up a whole breading station…
HOLY SHIT!!! YOU COULD COMPLETELY BURY YOUR COUNTER IN BREAD CRUMBS!
Pretty much. And you’re going to get club hand.
WHAT’S THAT?
So you hand gets a little flour on it, and then a little egg, and then the bread crumbs stick to it.
FUCKING AWESOME!!
You just have to make sure you use the same hand, otherwise you risk getting yourself sick through cross-contamination.
DUDE, THAT’S NOT COOL, MESSY IS COOL, SICK ISN’T. 55 STAY ALIVE, ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES.
Whatever, let’s get to cooking.
Chicken Cutlets with Mushroom Dressing
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 minced garlic cloves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, pounded flat
6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped shallots
12 ounces small button mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (the good stuff, nothing low-budget)
1/3 cup flour
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
4 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
Combine the lemon juice, half the olive oil, and half the garlic in a shallow dish that can hold all the chicken in a single layer. Add the chicken, and turn it over to coat it. Season with salt and pepper, put the thyme sprigs on top, and cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 6 hours.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the shallots and the rest of the garlic, and sauté until soft, a couple minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they start to color and release their juices. Dissolve the mustard in the wine, and add the balsamic vinegar. Add the mixture to the skillet, and cook until the mixture has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
Place flour in a shallow bowl, eggs in another shallow bowl, and the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Season each with a little salt and pepper. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator, and discard the thyme sprigs.
One at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs, and set aside on a plate. Heat the canola oil in another skillet to medium. Add half the chicken to the pan, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a serving plate, and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Reheat the mushrooms, and add the thyme leaves. Top the chicken with the mushrooms and serve.
Adam's Messy Kitchen 