Cheese-Crusted Cutlets with Raw Sauce and Milanese-Style Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup basil leaves thinly sliced
• 0.8 cup bread crumbs plain
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cups chicken stock see 
• 3 large eggs 
• 0.3 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1.5 pints grape tomatoes halved thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 servings splash milk 
• 0.3 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 4 servings olive oil for frying
• 0.3 cup orzo pasta 
• 0.8 cup parmigiano-reggiano grated
• 1 small onion red thinly sliced quartered
• 2 pinches saffron threads 
• 4 servings salt and pepper black freshly ground
• 4 pieces chicken breast boneless skinless
• 3  to 4 stems tarragon fresh chopped
• 1 cup rice white

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• wire rack
• pot
• plastic wrap

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Butterfly the chicken breasts open by cutting into and across but not all the way through the breast with a sharp knife. Lightly pound out the chicken under plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Set up a breading station: 1 pan of flour, 1 pan of eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons flour and a splash of milk, and 1 pan of bread crumbs seasoned with nutmeg and combined with cheese. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour, then in the egg and then in the bread crumb mixture. Set aside.
4. Arrange a cooling rack over a baking sheet and put it in the middle of the oven.
5. Add the butter to a pot with tight-fitting lid over medium heat.
6. Add the orzo to the warm butter and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, then add garlic and stir a minute more.
7. Add rice and coat in butter. Stir in the stock and the saffron threads and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook the rice until tender, about 17 to 18 minutes.
8. Add the parsley and fluff with a fork.
9. Heat 1/4-inch of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken, 2 cutlets at a time, about 3 minutes on each side.
10. Transfer the first 2 cutlets to the cooling rack in the oven to keep warm while you cook the second batch.
11. While the chicken cooks, combine the tomatoes, onions, basil, tarragon, and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
12. Transfer the chicken from the oven to serving dishes and top with the raw tomato sauce.
13. Serve the Milanese rice alongside.