Behold, a rare sight- a dish that’s actually made its way into my repeat-meal repertoire, a highly exclusive club. This recipe is pure summer, full of bright flavor and the ideal weeknight meal. It is, in effect, a kitchen unicorn.
Also, for someone who recently remarked that I really wasn’t a big fan or eater of chicken, I’ve sure been eating and enjoying a lot of chicken lately. Even rarer, for me, is to enjoy eating chicken breast, which is the basis of this recipe. But if I have to eat a chicken breast, I want it to be pounded thin and with the skin on (crispy skin is pretty key for me in any chicken dish)- which this recipe delivers on in spades.
This recipe also takes very little time on the stove, and thank goodness, because while I’ve also been complaining about the cool and inconsistent weather, it’s finally become summer and my apartment is, shall we say, warm. Quite warm. The type of warm which prevents you from sleeping at night and causes you to wake up with a damp back of the neck. The type of warm that causes you to drink water out of liter-sized mason jars packed with ice cubes and walk around with a cold cloth on your head. So it’s pretty critical that you do not have to turn on the stove for more than 10 minutes, tops.
Speaking of WARM weather, I am headed off to the dusty heel of Italy in just shy of two weeks, and I could not be more excited. I’m anticipating a real waistline expansion with this trip with all the reservations I’ve made based on delicious Instagram pictures and other 100% trustworthy sources. In addition to a few extra pounds, I’ll also very likely be returning with some major cooking inspiration, so get ready for some more recipes for fresh pasta (if you don’t have a machine already, maybe get one while I’m gone?), broccoli rabe and other southern Italian delicacies. Consider yourself warned!
Ingredients
- 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup torn country-style bread, (from about 1/4 small loaf)
- 2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- Pinch of sugar
- 3/4 cup parsley leaves with tender stems
Instructions
- Combine onion and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add bread; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out skillet.
- Using a thin, sharp knife, cut bones and cartilage from chicken breasts. Pound chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4" thick; season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high. Cook 1 chicken breast, skin side down, until golden brown and nearly cooked through, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until cooked through, about 1 minute more; second side will not brown. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with remaining cutlet and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (no need to wipe out skillet).
- Cut half of tomatoes in half. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet over medium-high. Add whole tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly blistered and starting to burst, about 5 minutes. Toss in sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Transfer to bowl with croutons. Add pickled onion with pickling liquid, halved tomatoes, parsley, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss. Serve chicken with panzanella spooned over.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/06/27/crispy-chicken-cutlets-with-cherry-tomato-panzanella/
