Buffalo Chicken Schnitzel with Bleu Cheese & Apple Green Salad

Like buffalo wings, but quicker, lighter, and almost...better.

It’s hard to compete with a good buffalo wing, but truth be told, I can rarely be bothered to make them at home, they’re exorbitantly expensive (there’s only two per chicken, after all), and they don’t quite constitute a whole meal on their own — at least not a very balanced one.

But that combination of buffalo sauce, cool, creamy bleu cheese and snappy celery? Incomparable. You’ll find them all in this recipe in a form that’s quicker to prepare and in perfect balance between a crisp, refreshing salad and a warm, salty satisfying cutlet. It’s heaven to me.

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Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless , skinless chicken breast

• 1/3 cup neutral oil

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 cups panko

• 1/3 cup buffalo sauce

• Flaky salt

• 1.5oz bleu cheese, crumbled

• 1 tbsp labneh, sour cream or greek yogurt

• 2 tbsp buttermilk

• 2 tsp olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon + juice of half

• 2 large handfuls of chopped greens, such as kale, red lettuce, cabbage, or a mix

• 1 stick celery, thinly sliced + celery leaves

• 1/2 of one crisp tart apple, cored & thinly sliced

1. Butterfly the chicken breast, place each piece between two layers of plastic wrap and pound them to 1/4” thickness.

2. Combine flour, garlic powder & paprika in a shallow bowl. Set the eggs and panko in two more shallow bowls. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and salt both sides. Dredge the chicken in the flour, doing one half at a time if needed to thoroughly coat, and shake off any excess, then dip in the eggs followed by the panko. You can fill in any sparse patches at the end by sprinkling leftover panko on top of the chicken and really pressing it in. If you have some extra time, you can place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack set over a sheet tray and rest them in the fridge. I find that this helps the breading adhere.

   

3. In a large skillet, heat 1/3 cup of neutral oil to medium-high. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken. Cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. When the chicken is close to done, spoon out most of the excess oil, kill the heat, and add the buffalo sauce to the skillet, basting the chicken with it (careful not to inhale over the pan, there’s a lot of vinegar and spice vaporizing!). Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack and sprinkle with flaky salt.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the bleu cheese and labneh to break up some of the cheese. Add the buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the greens, celery, and apples, and toss to combine.

5. Serve the salad alongside the schnitzel. Enjoy!