EAT

RITA'S KITCHEN

Rita's Kitchen: Chicken Cutlets with Summer Salad

Name: Chicken Cutlets with Summer Salad: A Classic Italian Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 nectarines, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes; 1/2 shallot, chopped; 1 cup castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped or torn; 1 8-oz container Ciliegine, halved or torn into bite-sized pieces; 1/2 cup chopped parsley; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp olive oil; flaky salt; 2 chicken breasts (about 1-1.25 lbs total), sliced in half into cutlets and pounded until 1/4-1/2" thick; 1 cup flour; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 cup panko bread crumbs; oil for frying

"Chicken cutlets with summery tomato, nectarine, mozzarella, and olive salad.
If you’ve been following me for a while you know I love to top my cutlets with some kind of salad or slaw. This version is a sweet-meets-salty mix of nectarines, tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella. Tastes just like summer. "

By Rita Kokshanian Mashkova

@saturdaytable

June 11, 2024

By Rita Kokshanian Mashkova

Ingredients

For the Salad:
1

pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2

nectarines, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2

shallot, chopped
1

cup castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped or torn
1

8-oz container Ciliegine, halved or torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2

cup chopped parsley
1

tbsp red wine vinegar
2

tbsp lemon juice
2

tbsp olive oil
flaky salt
For the Chicken:
2

chicken breasts (about 1-1.25 lbs total), sliced in half into cutlets and pounded until 1/4-1/2" thick
1

cup flour
2

eggs, beaten
1

cup panko bread crumbs
oil for frying

Instructions

TOTAL TIME

40 minutes

4 servings

The best part is the cutlets don’t take long to come together, and taste just as delicious at room temperature as they do fresh out of the pan. Perfect for making ahead.

Frying these in olive oil makes all the difference — read our guide on can you deep fry with olive oil for tips on temperature and technique. For another great salad to serve alongside, try this Mediterranean cabbage salad, or stay in Rita's Kitchen with her ricotta meatballs with rosemary tomato sauce.

A wooden cutting board holds chopped green olives, cherry tomatoes, peaches, shallots, and mozzarella balls. Next to the board is a glass of red wine with GRATS! printed on it.

Set Up the Breading Station

Place your flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs into three separate shallow bowls.

Golden, crispy breaded cutlets stacked on a white plate, showing a crunchy, browned texture with a few visible black pepper specks.

Season the Breading

Season each with salt and pepper.

Season the Chicken

Season your chicken cutlets with salt.

Bread the Cutlets

Dredge your cutlets by first coating them in flour, then the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs.

Fry the Cutlets

Heat 1/2" oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottom skillet. Working one at a time (or two, if you have a very large skillet), cook cutlets for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.

Serve with Summer Salad

To serve, top cutlets with salad, enjoy!

A close-up of a fresh salad with cherry tomatoes, green olives, mozzarella cheese, herbs, and wooden salad tongs in a glass bowl.

A plate of breaded, fried cutlets topped with a colorful tomato, peach, olive, and cheese salad. In the background are a bowl of salad, a stack of cutlets, and a glass with the word GRATSI.

The market

Red Wine

$39

White Wine

$39

Rosé Wine

$39