Ginger Pierce's Chicken Milanese

Cut the chicken breasts in thirds, trimming away excess fat or cartilage. With a meat mallet, or rolling pin, pound the breasts between plastic wrap to about ¼ inch thickness. Season the chicken breasts liberally with salt & pepper.

Coarsely chop the thyme and toss with the breadcrumbs and a little salt & pepper, and put in a wide container. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, and put in another wide container. Put the parmesan in a third wide container.

Place the seasoned chicken breast in the cheese, really pressing it into the meat. (The key is to get it really well coated.) Then dip the breast in the egg letting any excess fall back into the container. Finally coat the chicken on both sides with the herbed breadcrumbs. Repeat this process with each piece of chicken.

Heat a skillet to medium high heat & add the clarified butter or olive oil ¼ inch deep. (Make sure you give the pan time to heat back up after you add the fat.) As you add the cutlet to the oil, you should hear a light sizzle. If you don’t hear it your pan is too cold. If it is really loud & starts smoking, your pan is too hot. (Even temperature is really important!) Gently brown the cutlet on the one side, about a minute and a half, then flip with tongs & brown the other side. When brown, remove from the pan & place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to dry. Serve immediately.