Hot 'n' crispy chicken cutlets recipe

While I certainly didn't grow up eating kimchi, breaded chicken cutlets made a weekly appearance on our family dinner table. More often than not they were accompanied by a small ramekin of steamed peas, and a plate of buttered egg noodles (truly delish).

These days I prefer to eat my chicken cutlets accompanied by a big refreshing pile of crunchy kimchi and a generous serving of this kimchi ranch dressing instead, but the sentiment is more or less the same: chicken cutlets RULE.

Ingredients - Serves 4

1 garlic clove

1 lemon

1 small bunch chives

¾ cup labneh or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or

4 chicken cutlets (about 2 pounds)

2 cups kimchi, plus

3 tablespoons kimchi brine

1 tablespoon plus

2 teaspoons onion powder

1¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

½ cup mayonnaise

2 cups neutral oil, such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Method:

① Marinate the chicken:

✦ In a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup labneh, 3 tablespoons kimchi brine, 1 tablespoon onion powder, and 1¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper.

✦ Pat 2 chicken breasts dry and slice each in half lengthwise to create 2 thin cutlets. Season the cutlets all over with 2 teaspoons salt and transfer to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate the chicken at least 15 minutes at room temperature and up to 8 hours in the fridge.

② Make the kimchi ranch:

✦ In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and ½ cup labneh.

✦ Finely grate 1 garlic clove and zest half of a lemon into the labneh-mayo mixture. Cut the lemon into wedges and set them aside for serving.

✦ Thinly slice half of the chives and stir them into the ranch. Slice the remaining chives on the bias into 1½-inch(ish)-long matchsticks for garnishing later.

✦ Finely chop ¾ cup kimchi and stir it into the ranch. If it looks a little thick, add a splash or two of water until it is swooshable and spreadable. Season with salt.

③ Heat the oil: In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 cups neutral oil over medium heat; the oil should be about 1½ inches deep. It’s ultimately going to need to reach about 400°F, so use a deep-frying thermometer to check from time to time and adjust the heat as needed to maintain that temp. If you don’t have a thermometer, throw a few pieces of panko in the oil, and if they sizzle like cray, you’re in the right ballpark for frying.

④ Bread the chicken:

✦ Place 2 cups panko in a medium bowl.

✦ Working one at a time, use tongs to dip each chicken cutlet into the panko and use your fingers to press and pack the panko onto the chicken until very well coated. Transfer to a plate.

⑤ Fry the chicken:

✦ Line a rimmed baking sheet or a large plate with paper towels.

✦ Once the oil reaches 400°F, working in 2 batches, fry the chicken cutlets until deeply golden brown all over, flipping halfway through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.*

✦ Transfer the cutlets to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet and season well with salt.**Transfer the cutlets to a cutting board and slice across the grain (perpendicular to the point of the breast) into ½-inch-thick pieces.

⑥ Plate ’em up: Spread some kimchi ranch on each plate, add the cutlets and the remaining 1¼ cups kimchi, top with the reserved chives, and serve extra ranch alongside.

*Adding them all at once will drastically reduce the oil temperature, and they won’t get all golden brown and crisp, which would truly be a bummer.

**As a general rule, anything that gets fried in oil should be seasoned as soon as it comes out of the oil, for best salt stickage.

Reprinted from Cook This Book by Molly Baz Copyright © 2021. Photographs copyright © 2021 by PEDEN+MUNK. Published in the UK by Robinson, Little, Brown.

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