These days I’m most turned on by the subtly and nuance of cuisine; that whisper of flavor that takes a moment to decipher or translate. When hosting a dinner party for friends or clients, I love when guests seem to find a far off place with furrowed brow, trying their best to decode something quietly and carefully placed in the sensory experience before finally conceding…”what is that flavor at the back of every bite..?” Fried chicken is a brilliant vessel for just such culinary mystery; sometimes an unexpected ingredient in a brine, marinade, or even dry herb or spice in flour when cooking gives a traditional and familiar technique an opportunity to bloom and evolve.
My most recent edible “maguffin” takes full advantage of the food crush I currently have on Blue Elephant Red Curry Sauce; simply incorporating this true, tried, authentic, and ready made sauce with the egg mixture used for frying our traditional chicken Milanese helps to create something quite singular and different.
We think you’ll enjoy this recipe, because even folks who are typically not fans of southern fried chicken can’t help but return for seconds.
THAI RED CURRY CHICKEN MILANESE
Serves: 6 | Prep: 10 Minutes | Cook: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 10.6 ounce pouch Blue Elephant red curry sauce
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter
3/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces arugula
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
Parmesan cheese, shaved
TECHNIQUE
Combine the flour with a big pinch of salt and pepper in a wide bowl; whisk together Blue Elephant red curry sauce with eggs and milk together in another wide bowl; then combine bread crumbs with lemon zest and basil, set aside.
Using a rolling pin, meat mallet, or bottle of wine (more gently with the wine please), carefully pound the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap until they are thin, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Dredge chicken breasts completely with flour, then submerge both sides into the red curry - egg mixture and finally both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large non stick pan and cook two chicken thighs at a time on medium heat until golden brown, approximately 3 or 4 minutes on each side, ensuring that an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.
Place the arugula in a large bowl. In a large jar, shake together the 1/4 cup lemon juice with 1/2 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle enough dressing on the arugula to coat then toss well and add additional salt and pepper if you so desire.
Place a generous amount of arugula on top of each fried chicken breast then top with shaved Parmesan cheese.
