Chicken escalopes recipe

This chicken escalope recipe, flavoured with lemon zest and parsley, is a great go-to for a weekday dinner.

While chicken escalopes require a little extra effort to prepare, they’re definitely worth it - and will cook through in just eight minutes. Before shallow frying, the chicken breasts must be tenderised. We suggest flattening it out and beating with a mallet or a rolling pin. This technique breaks down the fibres in the meat, making it more tender and helping it cook faster. For larger chicken breasts, you may want to butterfly the meat beforehand. Serve with homemade chips and green vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, skinned
• 2tbsp plain flour
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 medium egg
• 50g white breadcrumbs
• Zested rind of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 30g butter
• 1tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1. Put each chicken breast between 2 sheets of cling film and, using a rolling pin or mallet, beat the chicken breasts out to an even thickness, until each one is about twice the original size.
2. Tip the flour on to a plate and add seasoning. Leave to one side. Beat the egg in a shallow dish. On another plate,mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and parsley.
3. Dip a chicken breast in the flour and tap off any excess, then dip it in the egg to coat completely; finally, dip in breadcrumb mixture and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
4. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan. Cook the breasts over a medium heat for 3-4 mins on each side. Drain on kitchen paper before serving.

Tips for making chicken escalopes:

If you find that your breadcrumbs fall off the chicken, place the breaded chicken (before cooking) on a plate and chill in the fridge for half an hour. This will help the breadcrumbs and egg mixture solidify and stick to the chicken as it cooks.