196. Mediterranean inspired chicken cutlets with lemony orzo and asparagus
This delightful recipe features simple pan fried chicken cutlets, a bright lemony orzo topped with some toasted bread crumbs, and of some gorgeous seasonal fresh asparagus. Asparagus is everywhere and I am here for it.
I like the versatility of this combination. It easily appeals to a wide range of tastes. It is easy to serve as customized individual plates, OR on a big buffet table as two separate dishes, a platter of the chicken cutlets next to a separate big bowl of the lemon orzo. Everyone loves it!
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Treat this recipe as your blueprint. A silky lemony sauce prepared in seconds serves as the foundation, add orzo and whatever vegetables and/or herbs suit you. For this recipe we are using seasonal asparagus - you can easily make it your own, just add your favourite vegetable(s).
If my kids were given the option, chicken cutlets would be on the menu every second day. They love the crunchy breaded coating and juicy tender meat. The tender chicken is easily achieved by pounding chicken breasts nice and thin - approx. 1 cm or 1/4 inch, you want a uniform thickness across the breast. Use a meat mallet, a heavy bottomed pot, or even a rolling pin. Place each individual breast between some plastic kitchen wrap then whack it until it is nice and thin - don’t be shy, use some force.
I chose to fry the chicken cutlets for this post but, on other occasions the cutlets have been air fried, and often just baked in the oven. Cutlets fried in oil are arguably the favoured method in my family, and given the age of my kids, I do indulge them periodically.
Orzo is a staple in our home, there is usually a box in the pantry on stand-by. It is beyond versatile and it cooks in under 10 minutes. This lemon orzo recipe is beyond simple to make. Boil the orzo and in the last minute of the boil add the asparagus. Drain the water. Pour the cooked orzo and asparagus back into the pot then add, the zest of one lemon (or 1/2 lemon if you want a more subtle flavour), the juice of one lemon, one mashed clove of garlic and extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper. A nice add-in is toasted bread crumbs or panko, simply take a clean non-stick pan, add some bread crumbs and toast until golden brown (stir continuously as you don’t want the bottom layer to burn). This addition adds a lovely layer of crunchy almost nutty flavour to your pasta. At the time of serving, add a generous topping of parmesan if that suits your crowd.
Recipe
Orzo component
Ingredients
1 lemon for juice and zesting (TIP - Zest first!)
1 cup orzo - you can use more just adjust the water quantity
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water (salted)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove mashed garlic - use a mortar and pestle to grind/mash into a paste
1/2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of asparagus cut into 1/2 inch pieces - feel free to add more!
Optional herb add-ins: 1 tsp fresh mint finely chopped or 1 Tbsp of fresh parsley or basil, even oregano
Dry pan toasted bread crumbs - I used 1/4 cup
Sprinkle of parmesan at time of serving
Method
Using a zester or finest setting on a hand held grater, zest one lemon and set aside.
In a bowl or glass or pestle, mash the garlic into a paste, add the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside until the orzo is cooked. TIP: it is easier to mash the garlic into a pulp if you add around 1/8 tsp salt just prior to beating it with the pestle in the mortar. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, put the garlic clove and salt into a plastic bag, then smash it with the bottom on a heavy pot. You want a mashed pulp like consistency.
If using other fresh herbs, chop now.
In a pot of boiling water or chicken stock, add the orzo, broth to a boil. Cook the orzo according to the package. In the last minute of cooking, add the asparagus. Drain all the water and add the olive oil/garlic/butter/lemon juice and zest to the orzo mixture. Add any fresh herbs (if using).
Toast the bread crumbs on a dry pan on med-high heat until golden brown.
Mix well - Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Serve topped with the toasted bread crumbs and parmesan.
Chicken cutlets
boneless chicken breasts - as many as you want!
start with one egg, add more as needed - lightly beaten on a plate or shallow bowl
bread crumbs or Panko - enough to coat your chicken breasts
Pound the chicken breasts until they are at most 1/4 inch or thinner. Place the chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet, the bottom of a heavy sauce pan or a rolling pin, and simply whack the chicken breast until it is 1/4 inch in thickness throughout.
Decide if you are baking, air frying or pan frying. Pre-heat now. Oven to 400 F/200 C, air fryer on high which is 400 F/200 C on most machines.
For this recipe we are pan frying. I fried in olive oil, the oil was preheated so that the chicken could be cooked immediately after it was breaded. (Oil was preheated to 350 F/175 C).
Using a paper towel, dry the chicken and lightly sprinkle some flour over the surface - both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
Now, onto breading the chicken breasts. Use bread crumbs or panko. Start with one egg - lightly beaten on a dinner plate or very shallow bowl. On another plate or shallow bowl sprinkle a generous amount of the crumbs.
Dunk the chicken - that has been lightly floured (both sides) - in the egg mixture then immediately into the bread crumbs. Use your hands and press the bread crumbs into the chicken.
Fry the chicken until golden brown, and the chicken is no longer pink, the inside internal temp should be 165 F or 75 C. This whole process is very quick - roughly 3-4 minutes per side. Rest each cutlet on a cookie cooling rack for about 3 minutes then serve.
Serve each diner individually. Garnish each plate with fresh herbs - this post used chives blossoms from the herb garden. Optional: Serve lemon slices for diners to squeeze fresh lemon juice if they choose.
OR
Serve a big tray of the chicken cutlets alongside a bowl of the lemon-asparagus orzo. Allow each diner to help themselves. Garnish with some chopped herbs and serve lemon slices for diners to squeeze fresh lemon juice if they choose.
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Serve and enjoy!
Saving! This looks absolutely delish, Sheryl - would for sure be going with panko 😊
Everything you post makes me hungry