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Crispy Chicken-Caesar Wedge Salad

Source of Recipe

From "Cravings: All Together" by Chrissy Teigen


Recipe Introduction

"I can't decide if I love or hate a meal that makes you work for it. I do know that I love the ballsiness of a restaurant saying, 'Put it together your damn self!' and what I also know is that John HATES it. I'm the one shelling his crab, peeling his shrimp. I'm the one cooking his meat at the Korean BBQ. He barely likes putting his raw, thinly sliced steak into his pho. Basically, all this man wants to do is chew. Anyhow, I *do* love a wedge salad, which is basically a big uncut slab of lettuce. I like to mix it up a bit: a thin fork shred one minute, maybe the next bite a large chunky triangle. I dunno! Who knows?! The chaos! What an adventure! I went with the crazy and mixed the DNAs of Caesar and Wedge, and this is the result. Once again, I've done all the work, John...enjoy!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ cups (3 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
â—¦ ¾ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
â—¦ ½ cup flour
â—¦ 4 (4- or 5-ounce) thin-cut chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
â—¦ 4 slices bacon
â—¦ 1 medium head iceberg lettuce
â—¦ Vegetable oil, for frying
â—¦ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
â—¦ ½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the Parm with the mayo, lemon juice, garlic, fish sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne. Measure ½ cup of the dressing and place it in a separate bowl.

In a shallow bowl, combine the panko, remaining ½ cup Parm, and ½ teaspoon salt. In a zippered plastic bag, combine the flour and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the chicken to the bag and shake to coat well. Transfer the chicken from the bag to a plate, then brush each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the dressing (1 tablespoon per side). Press both sides of each cutlet into the panko, applying pressure to make crumbs adhere. Place the cutlets on a plate and set aside.

Arrange the bacon on a small foil-lined baking sheet and bake until crisped and the fat is rendered, 13 to 14 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, then crumble it. Cut the iceberg head in half, then cut out and discard the core. Cut each half in half again to form four wedges.

Add enough vegetable oil to a 10-inch skillet to create a ¼-inch layer and heat it over medium heat until a panko crumb sizzles upon contact. Fry the cutlets until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then slice into strips.

Arrange one lettuce wedge on a dinner plate, then add a fourth of the cutlet slices, ¼ cup sliced tomatoes, one-fourth of the crumbled bacon (about 2 tablespoons), and 2 tablespoons blue cheese. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons dressing on the salad and season with more salt and lots of pepper.

Serves 4