Rooster Cutlets with Anchovy-Garlic Butter Recipe

On these nights when the clock is ticking and dinner must hit the desk quick, these hen cutlets are your golden ticket. Thinly pounded, frivolously dredged in flour, and seared till crisp, they prepare dinner in minutes. The flour coating not solely ensures a golden crust but in addition locks in moisture, retaining these skinny cutlets tender. 

After the dredge, it’s time to place collectively the true star of the present: an anchovy-garlic butter sauce that’s equal components wealthy, silky, and vivid. Don’t let the anchovies scare you off; they soften into sauce, lending a refined umami depth that makes the dish style complicated whereas remaining virtually easy to tug collectively.

The sauce is a fast lesson in a basic French method: mounting butter into heat liquid to create an emulsified, shiny end. The trick? Hold the warmth low, add the chilly butter just a few items at a time, and whisk in each bit, holding off on including extra till the earlier piece is absolutely melted. In about 5 minutes, you’ll have one thing luscious sufficient to drape over your hen, swirl by pasta, or sop up with a hunk of crusty bread.

For an excellent speedier weeknight win, you’ll be able to pound the hen and chop the aromatics within the morning, so if you stroll by the door, you’re quarter-hour from dinner. Serve with a inexperienced vegetable or a peppery salad to stability the richness, and also you’ve obtained a restaurant-worthy meal on a Tuesday night time — and, for an added bonus, just one skillet to clean. 

Why do you coat the cutlets in flour?

A lightweight flour dusting wicks floor moisture so the cutlets brown quick, forming a skinny, crisp crust. The crust protects the meat from the direct warmth and likewise helps the sauce cling to the cutlet. For this recipe, eggs are usually not vital for the dredge as a result of the cutlets’ pure moisture makes the flour adhere, saving you an additional step. Once you deglaze the pan with lemon juice, the flour additionally barely thickens the sauce. 

What can I serve these hen cutlets with?

Serve the cutlets over rice; small pasta equivalent to pastina, ditalini, or orzo; or creamy polenta. For a heartier starch, attempt it with mashed potatoes. To chop the richness of the anchovy-infused pan sauce, serve bitter greens equivalent to sauteed broccoli rabe or escarole on the aspect. 

Notes from the Meals & Wine Check Kitchen

• A flat whisk is healthier for pan sauces as a result of it sits flush to the pan, letting you attain corners and whisk the butter with out extra aeration. Its form additionally maximizes pan contact and melts in butter progressively. 
• You need to use both jarred or tinned anchovy fillets. The jarred variations reseal for simpler storage.
• If in case you have anchovy paste, you should use it as a substitute of chopping the fillets. Use about 1/2 teaspoon paste per fillet, because the paste is extra concentrated. 

Urged pairing 

A dry rosé from Provence is a pure selection for this dish. The area’s wines are celebrated for his or her vivid, refreshing acidity and delicate layers of strawberry, melon, and citrus. The freshness cuts by the richness of the butter sauce, whereas the refined fruit notes echo within the background. A mild mineral edge provides raise that contrasts the anchovy’s savoriness. 

This recipe was developed by Julia Levy; the textual content was written by Andee Gosnell