John Torode’s chicken milanese and garlic butter
Ready in a flash but bursting with bold, buttery flavour, John's speedy crispy chicken with garlic butter is your new weeknight hero. Think crispy golden Chicken oozing with garlicky butter, nestled on a bed of sautéed spring spinach, peas, and tender asparagus. Dinner just got seriously upgraded and all you need is 20 minutes to get it on the table.
John Torode’s Chicken Milanese and Garlic Butter with Spinach, Peas and Asparagus
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk
100g panko breadcrumbs
50g finely grated Parmesan
Vegetable oil for shallow frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spinach and peas
200g frozen spinach cubes
150g frozen peas
200g asparagus tips, blanched then sliced
For the garlic butter
80g butter, softened
3-4 garlic cloves, grated
Good handful of chopped parsley
Method
1. To butterfly the chicken breasts, put the pointed end of the breast away from you, place your hand on top of the breast and, with a sharp knife, gently slice horizontally through the meat, making little cuts as you go to open the chicken out. Repeat with the remaining breast. (or just flatten the chicken out by bashing it with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of baking parchment.)
2. Put the flour in one bowl, the beaten egg mixture in a second and mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a third. Dust the chicken breasts firstly in flour, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs mixture.
3. Pour about a 1cm depth of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and heat until hot (you can check to see if it is hot by inserting the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it fizzes, the oil is hot enough). Fry the chicken for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked through. Remove from the pan and place on kitchen paper to drain.
4. Meanwhile, put the spinach cubes in a pan, then add the frozen peas across the top with some salt and pepper. Place over the heat and cook until the spinach defrosts, letting the vegetables cook in their own juices.
5. In a small pan, melt the butter with the garlic, then take off the heat and add the chopped parsley. Spoon the spinach and peas onto plates and top with the chicken. Spoon over the garlic butter and serve.
6. If you like, you can add crème fraîche or mint sauce to the spinach and peas, or just an extra knob of butter.