Mock Paneed Veal

Paneed veal is a New Orleans staple, but veal can be hard to find and expensive. This version swaps in chicken breast, pounded thin between sheets of wax paper until it’s ¼ inch thick, giving you that same delicate, schnitel-like cutlet without the price tag.

The butter-and-oil combo for frying is key to the flavor. Butter alone burns too fast at the heat you need for a proper sear, but mixed with oil it stays stable while still giving you that rich, nutty butter taste in the crust. Italian-style bread crumbs bring their own seasoning, so the breading does double duty.

Two minutes per side. That’s all these thin cutlets need. The squeeze of lemon at the table brightens everything up.

Kitchen Tips

• Pound evenly. Thin spots cook faster than thick spots, giving you dry edges with a raw center. Aim for uniform ¼ inch thickness across the whole piece.
• Start with the oil cool and heat slowly. Adding chicken to smoking-hot fat burns the bread crumbs before the meat cooks through.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Fry in batches so each piece has room. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and you get soggy, greasy coating instead of crispy.

Variations

• Top the fried cutlet with a squeeze of lemon butter sauce and capers for a chicken piccata-style finish.
• Use panko instead of Italian bread crumbs for an extra-crunchy, lighter coating.
• Serve over dressed arugula with shaved Parmesan for a chicken Milanese presentation.