Bruschetta Chicken

Chicken parm is easily a top contender as one of my “death row meals” but in the summer during peak tomato season, I’m looking to eat something lighter and brighter. That’s why bruschetta chicken is a fantastic dish for the summer because fresh ripe tomatoes are the star of the show. Bruschetta is juicy and bright from the red wine vinegar and raw shallot and garlic so it pairs perfectly on top of a breaded and fried chicken cutlet… here’s my recipe!

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 eggs

1-2 cups of all-purpose flour

1-2 cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs

kosher salt

avocado oil for frying

3 very large or 3-5 smaller heirloom tomatoes

1 small shallot

1-2 garlic cloves

5-10 large basil leaves

high-quality evoo

red wine vinegar

Parmigiano reggiano (optional)

special equipment:

a sheet pan fitted with a wire cooling rack

meat mallet

paper towels

ziplock bag

3 wide and shallow bowls or 1/4 sheet pans

method:

chop your tomatoes into small cubes, remove any large pockets of seeds

cup your hands to shake out some of the extra juices and transfer them into a bowl

thinly slice your garlic, then add a pinch of kosher salt on top

using the back of a chef’s knife, smash the garlic until a smooth paste forms

transfer to the bowl

finely mince your shallot and transfer it to the bowl

chiffonade your basil by laying down the leaves flat and stacking them on top of each other, then roll them up into a thin tube and slice horizontally

You’ll be left with ribbons of basil, transfer them to the bowl

I eyeball this but drizzle on 2 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar, mix, taste, and adjust

season with kosher salt and transfer to the fridge

I used a yellow and purple heirloom because I love the different colors but you can use any tomato you like

Roma and beefsteak tomatoes would be a good sub but you could also do this with halved cherry tomatoes

take your chicken and pat it dry with paper towels

slice your breasts in half

transfer one at a time to the inside of a ziplock bag and pound them with the meat mallet until thin and most importantly even in thickness

then set up your breading station with 3 bowls one with flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the bread crumbs

season each bowl with a pinch of salt

then bread each chicken cutlet making sure that each cutlet gets thoroughly coated during each step (take your time and really press those bread crumbs in to get an even layer with no breast peaking through)

then fry in a wide skillet until each side is golden brown and crispy over medium-medium high heat, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and season with salt immediately (laying these on a wire cooling rack will ensure that both sides stay crispy and not soggy)

then plate by spooning on as much bruschetta as you’d like on top of your chicken and finishing with some freshly grated parmesan cheese

I served mine with some pesto pasta using my pesto recipe and an arugula salad dressed with just EVOO and red wine vinegar!