Parmesan Chicken (Barefoot Contessa Recipe)

Simply DELICIOUS! Crunchy hot tender chicken topped with cool spring greens with a lemon vinaigrette.  This is an original Barefoot Contessa Recipe, love her recipes.  I made a few changes (in red).  

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs (I used 3 large)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (I used 3/4 cup panko and 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter  (I used salted butter)
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry (I used spring greens)
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.  (I put cooked breast in a 200 degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve) Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings