Slam Allen's Chicken Milanese

Being on the road all the time and getting to meet great folk from all around the country, I've had the privilege of trying out all kinds of regional foods and having all sorts of special people cook for me. As an introduction to what I hope to be many recipes from my friends, and myself -- I'm going to begin this column with that old standby of mine, Chicken Milanese -- or in plain language, chicken cutlets.

Your chicken cutlets should be properly cleaned and washed. Now I know people like my friend Josephine who will wash a chicken in cold running water in a pot with salt till the cows come home -- then I know a guy named Mack who I've seen barbeque smelly chicken right out of a family pack. So washing and cleaning chicken varies with the washer and cleaner. But like Josephine, I like mine free of fat and thoroughly rinsed before preparing to cook it. So after they're clean, lay the cutlets out in a pan and they're ready to be breaded.

You'll need:

• 4 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs (preferably homemade)
• 4-6 eggs
• 1 cup genuine pecorino Romano cheese
• a handful of fresh Italian (flat) parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for cooking

Line a large dish or pan with paper towels to drain the fried cutlets on.

In a large bowl, scramble your eggs and add half the parsley, half the cheese, a 1/2-teaspoon of granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

In another pan add your breadcrumbs and the rest of the seasonings and mix well.

Line the bottom of a frying pan with about half an inch of olive oil (If you want to treat yourself to an even nicer taste, use extra-virgin olive oil). You can tell when the oil is hot enough for frying by dropping a tiny bit of the egg mixture in (just a drop). If it expands right away, the oil is ready.

Place each chicken cutlet in the egg mixture, coating it well. Then dip the cutlet into the breadcrumb mixture and press down lightly on each side making sure you've got a good coat of breadcrumbs on it.

Place the culets in the hot oil carefully and fry till golden brown on each side. You will probably fit three-four cutlets in a pan at a time. Keep the oil hot, but don't let it burn. As each cutlet is finished, place them on the dish lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. When the last cutlet is finished, place them on your serving dish and enjoy!