MILANESE CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

Directions

1. THE CAESAR DRESSING
2. Place the garlic, anchovies, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil onto a chopping board and finely chop together. Then once the ingredients are finely diced, using the back of the knife, mash the diced ingredients into the board until a homogenous paste is achieved.
3. Place the egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and whisk together for a minute until slightly thickened. Then add the anchovy paste and Dijon mustard and whisk together for a further minute.
4. Then, whisking as you go, very slowly (you cannot go too slowly), drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil drop by drop. Then add the remaining oil, again very slowly and whisking as you go, until you have achieved a thick glossy emulsion.
5. Add the grated parmesan and then the lemon juice and whisk together. The lemon juice will loosen the dressing but if necessary, add a splash of water to loosen to the consistency of a dressing as opposed to a mayonnaise.
6. Season with pepper. The anchovy and parmesan should provide plenty of salt.
7. Set aside until needed. This will make a generous supply of dressing and will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
8. THE ANCHOVY GREMOLATA
9. To make the Gremolata, place all the ingredients onto a chopping board and dice together until you have a homogenous mix of finely diced ingredients. Season with pepper and set aside until needed.
10. THE CHICKEN MILANESE
11. Mix the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan and lemon zest until evenly combined.
12. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of greaseproof paper and bash the chicken to a thickness of about 1cm with a rolling pin or meat hammer.
13. To bread the chicken, place the flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Season the flour with salt and pepper and then dredge the chicken breast in it, making sure the breast is entirely covered and there are no bald spots. Dredge the flowered breasts in the egg using one hand and then transfer to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, covering the breast entirely with breadcrumbs using the other hand (ie the wet-hand-dry-hand method). Repeat until all the chicken breasts are breaded.
14. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and fill with olive oil until you have a depth of 2-3mm of oil in the pan. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay the chicken into the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side until completely golden and crisp. Lift out the chicken and drain any remaining oil on kitchen paper. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
15. THE SALAD
16. Romaine Lettuce is usually used for Caesar salads, but we prefer the sweetness, texture and portioning Little gem offers. Separate the leaves and slice the larger leaves in half lengthways.
17. Divide the lettuce and chicken into 4 equal portions.
18. To assemble the salad add the leaves to a large bowl or plate with a tbsp of the dressing, mix together with your hands to ensure the leaves are evenly covered. Slice the chicken and add to the leaves. Top with the gremolata and parmesan shavings. Serve immediately with extra dressing and gremolata.