Pecan Milanesas with Corn and Blueberry Salsa

Pecan Milanesas with Corn and Blueberry Salsa

From The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes that Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South. Copyright © 2011 by Sandra A. Gutierrez. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press. www.uncpress.unc.edu

The crunchy crust on this chicken gives way to tender flesh, delicately dressed with a refreshingly sweet salsa embellished with hints of mint and honey. Milanesas, or breaded cutlets, are to Latin Americans what fried chicken is to Southerners. They became ever-present in Latin cuisine after Italian immigrants introduced them to South America in the nineteenth century. German immigrants brought their version, Wiener schnitzel, to the communities that welcomed them in large numbers, but it was the Italian term that has been absorbed into Latin American culinary lingo. They’re usually topped with lime juice and often served stuffed into sandwiches. In my version, pecans, which are native to the South, add a satisfying crunch and a touch of sweetness to the crust. Corn and blueberries work together in a colorful salsa that pops with sweet and tart flavors.

For the milanesas

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and ground (see note)
• ½ cup dried bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½  cup vegetable oil

For the salsa

• 1 ½ cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen and thawed)
• 1 cup blueberries
• ¼ cup minced Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
• 1 minced serrano chile (seeded and deveined if less heat is desired)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fit a baking sheet with a metal cooling rack; set aside. Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet to ¼-inch thickness; set aside. On a plate, combine the flour, salt, paprika, and pepper. On another plate, combine the pecans and bread crumbs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 tablespoons water. Dredge each cutlet in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and dip both sides of the cutlet into the eggs. Dip both sides of the cutlet into the pecans, pressing gently so they adhere well. In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the cutlets for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown (add more oil as needed; reduce the heat if they brown too quickly). Transfer the cutlets to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cooked through (no longer pink).

In a medium bowl, combine the corn, blueberries, onions, serrano, cilantro, mint, lime juice, and honey and stir until well incorporated; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken topped with salsa.

Serves 6

Note: Toast pecans on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 5–8 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer them to a plate to cool completely. Once toasted, pecans can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 4 months. To grind pecans, place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse on and off until some pieces are ground to a meal and others remain a bit larger (about ten 1-second pulses); don’t overgrind, or you’ll end up with an oily meal. Alternatively, chop them very finely with a sharp knife.