Chicken Milanese with Deep Fried Potatoes and Lemon Mayonnaise

A classic Italian dish of thin, breaded and fried chicken fillets, this time with deep fried potatoes, a lemony mayonnaise and arugula salad.

For two you’ll need two fairly large but thin chicken fillets, 3-4 tbsp flour, 1 egg, 1 dl breadcrumbs, 3/4 dl grated Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tbsp dried basil, 5-6 potatoes, 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp lemon juice, arugula, cherry tomatoes, rapeseed oil for deep frying, extra virgin olive oil for the salad, salt and ground black pepper.

Start with the potatoes. Peel them and cut them into even wedges. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until softened, then drain them and let them dry in a sieve.

Heat enough rapeseed oil in a pan on high to cover a batch of potatoes. Fry them in batches until golden brown, then remove from the oil and let dry on paper.

Mix 3-4 tbsp of mayonnaise with 1 tbsp lemon juice and add salt to taste.

Then move on to the chicken. If you’re starting with chicken breast, cut them in half and pound to an even thickness.

Grate the Parmesan cheese.

For the breading, place the flour in one plate, the whisked egg in another and the breadcrumbs in a third.

Add the grated Parmesan and the dried basil to the breadcrumbs and stir them to an even mix.

Coat each chicken fillet on both sides with the flour, then the whisked egg and finally with the breadcrumbs, pressing the chicken into the breadcrumbs slightly, making sure it is evenly coated.

Finally add some salt and black pepper to both sides of the chicken.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan on medium high, then fry the chicken a few minutes on both sides until browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

While the chicken is cooking halve the cherry tomatoes and mix them with the arugula. Toss the salad with a light dressing of 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice plus salt and black pepper to taste. Top with some thinly sliced Parmesan cheese.

Serve the chicken with the salad, potatoes and the mayonnaise for dipping. Strew some salt flakes over the potatoes for added saltiness.

The history of Chicken Milanese
Chicken Milanese, or “Cotoletta alla Milanese” in Italian, is a traditional dish from the Lombardy region in Northern Italy, with Milan being its center. The dish is a variation on the more famous “Wiener Schnitzel” from Austria, which is made with breaded and fried veal cutlets.
The history of Chicken Milanese can be traced back to the 19th century, and it’s believed to have been introduced by Austrian chefs during the Austrian rule of Northern Italy. The Austrian influence is particularly evident in the use of breaded and fried cutlets. Over time, Italians adapted the dish, using locally available ingredients, and chicken became a popular alternative to veal due to its affordability and availability.
It’s traditionally served with a lemon wedge and sometimes with a fresh arugula or mixed green salad on top.