Barefoot Bloggers- Ina's Chicken Parmesan

This week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe was chosen by Megan and it was a great choice! I have to say, I've made this chicken several times and love it every time. So while this wasn't something new for me, it was fun to have a good excuse to make it again.

Ina recommends serving this with a lemon vinaigrette but I prefer Emeril's basic balsamic vinaigrette and think it's a good, tangy complement to this chicken. Another good variation is to pound out the chicken and make it into chicken cordon bleu. Yum.

I do have one recommendation, though. I usually try to cut back on oil and pare down my recipes when I can, but this is one Barefoot Contessa recipe where I really agree with Ina about all the fat needed. This time around on the chicken I skimped on the oil in the pan and the chicken didn't brown as well or hold onto the topping quite how it should have. Add a few minutes to your workout and add all the oil, in my opinion! :)

Parmesan Chicken
by Ina Garten

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs (I use large and add a little milk or water to make up the difference)
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.