Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Tomato Fennel Salad

Directions

1. First, make the salad: Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl, and mix them together. Set aside for flavors to develop while you make the chicken.
2. Place chicken breasts in a heavy duty freezer bag, lay the bag on the counter, and use a large rolling pin to pound them to approximately ¼ inch in thickness (if you can’t get them that thin, it’s okay, your cutlets will just take a bit longer to cook).
3. Place the flour in a shallow dish or bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce until smooth. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish or bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the chicken cutlets liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
4. ake one chicken cutlet and dredge it in the flour until fully coated. Dip into the egg mixture, followed by the breadcrumbs, making sure that it gets fully coated with crumbs. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cutlet.
5. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat and once heated, place the cutlets in the pan and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides (about 2-4 minutes per side). Once cooked, transfer cutlets to a plate lined with paper towels to sop up any excess grease.
6. Serve the cutlets hot, topped with copious amounts of tomato fennel salad, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.