Almond-Crusted Chicken Milanese with Arugula-Fennel Salad

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Pounded-thin chicken cutlets get a golden, crackly almond crust in a hot skillet of avocado oil — no flour or breadcrumbs anywhere. A bright shaved fennel, arugula and cherry tomato salad dressed in lemon and olive oil piles right on top, so the greens wilt just slightly against the hot crust. Dinner on the table in about 35 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb)
• 1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup avocado oil, for frying

• 1 small fennel bulb, cored and shaved very thin
• 5 oz baby arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small shallot, sliced paper-thin
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Set each chicken breast flat on a cutting board and slice it in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Place one cutlet at a time between two sheets of parchment and pound with a mallet or heavy skillet to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Pat both sides completely dry with paper towels and season all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.
2. Set up two shallow dishes. In the first, whisk the arrowroot starch with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In the second, beat the eggs until fully smooth. In a third dish, stir together the almond flour, garlic powder, oregano, lemon zest, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Dredge a cutlet in the arrowroot and shake off all excess, dip it in the egg letting the drips fall away, then press it firmly into the almond flour mixture on both sides so the coating sticks. Set on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Let them rest 5 minutes so the crust sets.
4. While the chicken rests, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until emulsified. Add the shaved fennel and sliced shallot and toss; let them sit in the dressing for 10 minutes to soften.
5. Heat the avocado oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it reaches 340-350°F (a pinch of almond flour should sizzle steadily, not violently). Almond flour browns faster than breadcrumbs, so keep the heat at medium and adjust as you go.
6. Fry two cutlets at a time, without crowding, for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until deep golden, then flip carefully with a thin spatula and fry 2 to 3 minutes more, until the crust is browned and the chicken registers 165°F at the thickest point. Transfer to a clean wire rack set over a sheet pan — not paper towels — so the crust stays crisp. Fry the second batch, adding a splash more oil if the pan looks dry.
7. Add the arugula, cherry tomatoes and parsley to the bowl with the dressed fennel and toss gently just until coated. Set a hot cutlet on each plate, pile a generous handful of salad over the top, and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.
8. Optional: for a family-style presentation, overlap all four cutlets on a large platter, mound the salad down the center, and drizzle the plate with an extra teaspoon of olive oil before bringing it to the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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