PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN ESCALOPES & ROCKET SALAD
SERVES: 6 TIME: 20 minutes
I first made this eggy Parmesan batter when I was working in London many years ago. Back then, we used it with veal. However, it works well with chicken breast and pork loin too.
The key to making this batter really tasty is the Parmesan and the anchovy fillets, which both add a punch of salt and flavour. I know anchovies aren't a thing for a lot of people so you can leave them out, but I strongly encourage you to give them a try as they provide a lot of the flavour.
You need to use quite a bit of oil and butter for frying, otherwise you'll struggle to stop the chicken from sticking. A good non-stick fry pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan is also helpful.
INGREDIENTS
3 x chicken breasts
2 tbsp plain flour salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 whole eggs, lightly beaten 100ml cream
50g finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese 6 anchovy fillets, finely diced
50g butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
METHOD
1 Lay the chicken breasts flat on a chopping board and slice across into 1cm-thick pieces. Lay the slices flat between two pieces of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin or similar until flattened down to 5mm thick (known as escalopes).
2 Prepare the seasoned flour and egg wash. In a large bowl, mix a pinch of salt, pepper, and the flour. In another, mix the beaten egg, grated Parmesan, anchovies, and cream.
3 Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan until bubbling.
4 Drag the chicken through the flour, then the egg wash. Shallow fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until the coating is crispy. Serve with the rocket salad (see page 41).
SERVES: 6
PREP/COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
SETTING TIME: 3 hours
Panna cotta may not be at the top of everyone’s list for Christmas dessert. However, they’re pretty handy: they’re easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and are very refreshing after a heavy meal.
I add a blueberry compote over the top, but you could use Christmas berries or some quickly stewed strawberries.
INGREDIENTS
3 gelatine sheets
400ml can coconut cream ½ cup brown sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
and seeds scraped
1 kaffir lime leaf (optional) 300ml cream
METHOD
1 Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water. Squeeze out the excess water before use.
2 Heat the coconut cream, sugar, cream, vanilla, and lime leaf in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
3 Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatine.
4 Place back onto the element and gently heat for a further couple of minutes, then remove and allow the mixture to cool. 5 Pour into panna cotta moulds and refrigerate until set, around 3 hours. 6 To serve, dip the moulds very carefully in very hot water to loosen the panna cotta, then turn out onto a plate. Serve topped with blueberry compote.
I like to use blueberries for the compote, but you could use strawberries or other seasonal berries instead.