Recipe of the week: Chicken cutlets meunière

“À la meunière” describes a simple French preparation that’s a “slam-dunk for pretty much any thin, delicate, white fish fillet,” said Mark Bittman in NYTimes.com. If you’re a fan of sole meunière, you might find that the method is also one of the best ways to treat chicken cutlets. “Meunière” literally means “miller’s wife,” so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the traditional first step is to dredge the cutlet in flour.

Chicken cutlets meunière

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets

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salt and black pepper

1 cup flour (or cornmeal) for dredging

oil or clarified butter for pan-frying

1 to 2 tbsp butter for browning (optional)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp minced parsley

Heat 12-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. While heating, sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place flour or cornmeal on a plate.

Place oil or clarified butter in skillet, to a depth of about 1/8 inch, and turn heat to high.

When oil is hot, dredge cutlets in coating, turning a few times and pressing down so they are well covered. After you dredge each, add to pan. Cook until chicken is nicely brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until chicken is firm to the touch (lower heat if the coating begins to scorch).

Meanwhile, if making brown butter, place 1 to 2 tbsp butter in small pan over medium heat and cook until nut-brown.

When chicken is done, drain it briefly on paper towel, then transfer to warm platter. Drizzle with lemon juice and top with half the parsley. At the last minute, pour browned butter over chicken and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serves 4.