Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

Quick & tasty weeknight dinner. You can never have to many chicken breast recipes. 

• Take boneless skinless chicken breasts, lightly salt them, dredge them in flour, dip in beaten egg yolk, and coat them in a mixture of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Panko Breadcrumbs. The mixture should be about 2 parts cheese to 1 part Panko. 
• Place the coated chicken in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. This time will help the coating stick. 
• Heat a tablespoon of butter in a skillet on medium-high heat until it foams. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, this will keep the butter from burning. Add chicken to skillet and WAIT. After 3-4 minutes check the color. Turn it when its beautiful. 
• When both sides are beautiful take them off heat and make sure they are around 155 degrees. If they aren't fully cooked put them on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (so the coating doesn't get soggy) and put them in the oven until done. 
• Let the chicken rest on the plate for 5 minutes before cutting into them.

Pack the coating on

Notes: 

1. Any hard cheese will work. Pecorino Romano works especially well!
2. Regular breadcrumbs are not recommended, can be used in a pinch. Panko crumbs will result in a crispier crust.
3. Add some seasoning to the flour, egg, and/or breading mix. A sprinkle of Nutmeg compliments the Parmesan well. If you like heat add some Cayenne Pepper. Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Paprika, Mustard Powder... Experiment.
4. You may need more/less butter and oil depending on the size of your pan and how many chicken breasts you're making.  
5. It's a good idea to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Not too thin, you don't want your chicken to cook through before the breading is crisp. Not too thick, you don't want the breading to burn because the chicken isn't cooked through yet.
6. The real trick to this recipe is to get the breading to stay stuck to the chicken. If you use just the egg yolk (not the white), use plenty of cheese, let the chicken sit in the fridge for a bit, and don't mess with the chicken too much once it's in the pan it'll stay in place.

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