Sometimes recipes are the mother of invention.  How does that phrase go?  OK, the necessity is the mother of inventions.  As a quick diversion, you ask what is the origin of this phrase?  It actually has Latin roots and dates back to the early 1500’s.  I explained, yesterday, how my wife pulled a big bowl of yellow curry sauce out of the fridge.  I had to use it or it would spoil.  I made some traditional recipes with it and then, I did my thing – fusion. The Yellow Curry Mashed Potatoes needed a good pairing.  So I came up with this Chicken Curry Milanese.

This Chicken Curry Milanese was mostly enjoyed by yours truly.  My daughter was home for a week or so before she moved to DC to start her career. Do you hear the crying in the background.  That is me.  I am so happy to have her embark on her future and create her own path but did she have to do it so far away?  As you know, she always requests two dishes: one, macaroni N cheese, and two, chicken milanese.  So I was making her favorite chicken milanese.  But the classic Italian version would not go with curry mashed potatoes.

So how would a milanese turn out if I put an Indian spin on it.  Damn good!  Now, I hope the Italian chefs of old are not rolling over in their you know what.  I am not sure this version replaces the classic but it is very tempting.  The flavor was really cool and you know it paired so well with the curry mashed potatoes.  What is interesting about the curry spices is that it made for a deeper browning color.  I took this curry idea to the extreme.  As you will see from my dredging stations, I added curry in all three of my dredging stations – the flour, the egg wash and the breading.  Really cool idea!  The curry was carried over to all phases of this recipe.

The Recipe

Chicken Curry Milanese

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An Indian spin on the Italian breaded chicken classic.

Prep10 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total30 minutes mins

Servings12

Scale

1x2x3x

Ingredients 

• ▢ 12 thin cut chicken breasts
• ▢ 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 cup corn meal
• ▢ 3 tablespoons madras curry powder, divided
• ▢ 3 tablespoons turmeric, divided
• ▢ 6 eggs
• ▢ 2 cups flour
• ▢ 1/2 – 1 cup canola or corn oil

Instructions 

• Set up your dredging stations – the flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of the curry and turmeric; the eggs with another tablespoon of each and finally, the breadcrumb cornmeal mixture with the last tablespoon of curry and turmeric.
• Start by taking one chicken slice and dredge in the flour. Shake off the excess.
• Then, drop into the egg wash. Let the excess drip off.
• Finish by placing in the panko bread crumb corn meal mix. Press in the breading and let the excess fall off.
• Meanwhile, pour the oil into your skillet and heat on medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the breaded chicken fillets. Do not overcrowd the pan.
• Cook each fillet 2 – 3 minutes per side. Move to a cooling rack and let the oil drain off.
• Finish pan frying all the fillets.
• When 6 – 8 are cooked and drained, place on a baking tray.
• Place into a 275 degree oven for 8 – 10 minutes.
• Let rest for a couple of minutes.
• Repeat process with the remaining chicken breasts.
• Serve and enjoy!

 The curry filled dredging stations.

Breading pre-cooked and resting following browning.

The final dish Plated.