There are some types of dishes you find the world over. They have different names on their passports and come in diverging styles, but they share delicious fundamentals. The breaded cutlet – known aliases include katsu, schnitzel and milanesa – is one of them, and a favourite of mine. So I was in heaven when I had chicken milanese last week at a restaurant, the first one I’ve had in a while, the cutlet golden and crisp, a wild heap of rocket on top and a jaunty lemon wedge on the side. It’s a full meal, and a perfect one at that.
You really can milanese (or katsu, or schnitzel) just about anything. The traditional northern Italian dish is made with veal. The version below uses flounder and adds avocado on the side, for something lighter but no less delicious. Chicken, pork, tofu, cauliflower: all can be sliced or pounded, breaded and fried, served with something acidic for perk.
