Recipe: Chicken Milanese from Atrium at Ponce City Market

This week, we’re sharing a recipe for the chicken Milanese from the Ponce City Market restaurant Atrium. The chicken comes served with romesco sauce and a petite greens salad.

Atrium’s recipe is a take on the classic Italian Milanese cutlet, which has origins in 12th-century northern Italy. Some historians believe the Milanese cutlet is actually a variation on schnitzel from Austria. Italian immigrants would later bring chicken Milanese to the Americas during the 19th century.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 cups panko breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Canola oil for frying

Romesco sauce

• 4 roasted red peppers, peeled and drained
• 4 roasted plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

Petite greens salad with buttermilk dressing

• 4 cups mixed greens such as arugula, watercress, or frisée
• 4 thinly sliced radishes 
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp sliced chives
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

1. Prep the chicken: Butterfly each chicken breast without cutting into two separate pieces.
2. Set up the beaten eggs and seasoned panko in two separate shallow containers. Coat both sides of the chicken in egg and allow the excess to drip off. Transfer chicken to the panko mix and press firmly so the breadcrumbs adhere evenly to both sides.
3. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a deep skillet. Fry chicken for approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Drain on a wire rack and season with salt while hot.
4. Make the romesco: Add all ingredients, excluding the olive oil, to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Slowly add olive oil while the machine is running. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Make the dressing: Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream together until smooth. Add the remaining dressing ingredients until smooth. Keep refrigerated until service.
6. Make the salad: Combine the greens and radish, then toss lightly toss with buttermilk dressing. Divide the salad evenly.
7. Plating: Spread 3 tablespoons of romesco across the center of two plates. Place one fried chicken directly over each pool of sauce and toss each cutlet with the dressed salad.
8. Finish each plate with 1/2 ounce of grated Pecorino Romano.
9. Serve immediately.