Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich)

Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich) a wonderfully breaded, tender, moist chicken cutlet laid on a warm rustic ciabatta, sandwiched between beautiful fresh layers of ripe tomato and crisp lettuce. Oh, and that is not all, to spike the flavor just a few notches, a wonderful slathering of robust pesto mayo. Now that's an Italian sandwich!

Song of the day: "Wild Horses" by Gino Vannelli

A childhood favorite

Cotoletta is a word in my childhood that always had my undivided attention. I loved them. This breaded proteins fried to sheer perfection, crispy, so flavorful, I just could not have enough of them.

I remember sprinting home for lunch from school, a good 1 km run, just to get home in enough time to munch on cutlets. My mom would tell me in the morning that she was making them for lunch and everything I was supposed to learn that morning was gone and all I could think of was those tender morsels of heaven! I think that would classify me as a true foodie at such a young age!

Actually, I think if you talk to any  Italians about cotoletta you will see a sudden spike in passion and excitement.

Even Nicoletta, who never liked meat, would be enticed by her grandma's thin and crispy cotoletta. That says something, doesn't it!

A fun and a great time for kids 

I still remember to this day how much I loved helping to make the cutlets when I was young. My favorite part was the breading, however, the egg dipping and frying my mom or dad did, and I was okay with that. I was always amazed at how the bread just created this wonderfully textured surface that would turn golden and crispy after being cooked.

This recipe is a great time to pull the family together and make a wonderful meal that everyone will enjoy. The job list is something like this:

• Meat pounder
• Egg beater
• Egg washer
• Meat breader
• Fryer
• Tomato cutter
• Lettuce washer
• Pesto mayo mixer
• Sandwich assembler

Plenty of tasks for everyone!

Hey, wait, I forgot something, everyone in the car, we are going to The Italian Centre Shop. Believe it or not, I can remember going there when I was quite small. There was this aroma of deli meats, cheeses, and these huge dolls in extravagant dress, plus all the winemaking equipment along with the huge hanging mortadella and provolone cheese.

I have to say Frank Spinelli always made you feel like you were a somebody, his handshake, the way he looked at you and his passion for the store. Talk about destiny! Today Teresa runs the show and she has done an amazing job building on the legacy her father left. Well done, Teresa!

Cast Iron all the way!

I have to say I love my seasoned cast iron pan, especially for frying. A kitchen without a cast iron pan is similar to a cook without a knife. Unheard of!

I like using one because it keeps the heat nice and even, however, you have to be careful because the handle gets hot too! Even after, it takes a bit of time to cool, so watch the kids around the pan!

Time to put this bad boy together

The bread is always better toasted. That crispy crust and billowy inside compliments the freshness of the lettuce and those wonderful crunchy edges of the cotoletta. We need a condiment, however, it would be delicious just the same without.

We opted for some and added a wee bit of Italian flair to a simple plain mayo. Yes, PESTO!

Get that cool crisp lettuce on, then the cotoletta, a topping of tomato some more pesto mayo, just because......... and on goes the topper ciabatta and that my friends mean only one thing. It is time to EAT! Yeah!!!!!!!!!

If sounds tell a story

You are going to love the symphony of silence and crunching that will go on at the table. The smiles with remnants of the mayo in the corner of the mouths and those familiar moans of delight. The best part is that everyone took part, hence pats on the back for all of you!

Hey, who took a bite!

Oh, wait, that was me. I told you cotoletta make me do crazy things. I couldn't help myself. Plus I had to taste it or how am I going to tell you about this Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich).

Finally tried and tasted

I love the crispy chewiness of this rustic ciabatta. Gotta love the bakery at The Italian Centre Shop. Always fresh, always rustic, and textured.

That lettuce is perfect to awaken the taste buds getting them ready for that golden-fried breaded chicken.

Oh wow, that crunch and all that flavor coming alive in my mouth are sensational and the way that pesto mayo seduces my senses is magical. The tomato is rich sweet juicy and is a perfect companion to all the other components of this panino.

As I am eating this, I see that little boy running chanting cotoletta......cotoletta. What a sweet motivated imaginative passionate little boy!

Final words

If you have never tried this Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich) I think it is time you did.  Gather the gang, go to the Italian Centre Shop, get all the ingredients and assign tasks. Then relax, sit at the table, and take a moment to be pleased with yourself for creating something so beautiful and delicious.

Now Eat!

Enjoy!

Song of the day: "Wild Horses" by Gino Vannelli.

Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich)

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

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Panino Cotoletta (Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich) a wonderfully breaded tender moist chicken cutlet laid on a warm rustic ciabatta sandwiched between beautiful fresh layers of ripe tomato and crisp lettuce. Oh, and that is not all, to spike the flavor just a few notches a wonderful slathering of robust pesto mayo. Now that's an Italian sandwich!

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: serves 2-4 people

Ingredients

Cotoletta (cutlet):

350 gram organic certified skinless boneless chicken breast

3 organic free-range chicken eggs

Pinch of sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder

1 ½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Panino:

2 ciabatta buns




4 leaves of iceberg lettuce




1 hothouse tomato, sliced into thin rounds

Condiment:

2 tablespoon mayo




1 teaspoon Pesto

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Instructions

Cotoletta (cutlet):

1. Take chicken breast and cut into thin fillet about between ⅛ to ¼ of an inch. You should get 4 cutlets.
2. Grab a meat cleaver, pound each side of the chicken fillet so it becomes thin and tender.
3. In one bowl crack the three eggs and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and whisk.
4. In another bowl pour in seasoned breadcrumbs.
5. Take the chicken fillet, coat both sides in the egg mixture and place in bowl with breadcrumbs and coat well. Shake off any excess crumbs and set in a plate. Continue this until all fillets are done.

Panino fixings:

1. Wash and dry lettuce leaves, and place on a plate. Also, place tomato rounds on a plate.

Fry time:

1. Heat up some vegetable oil or peanut oil in a pan. Bring it to medium heat and slowly lay fillet away from you into the pan. Cook for about 2-4 minutes until a nice golden brown. Turn them over and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes or until golden brown. If you find they are browning too fast turn heat down a bit. Continue this until all cutlets are cooked.
2. Place cooked chicken cutlets on a paper towel lined plate and when most of the excess oil is absorbed place in a clean serving dish.

Assembly:

1. Take ciabatta buns cut in half lengthwise and place in a 400° F oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
2. While ciabatta is toasting in the oven, take mayo and mix it with the pesto.
3. Take ciabatta buns out of the oven and spread mayo pesto mixture on insides of bread.
4. Place lettuce on the bottom and then two cutlets, topping them with tomato and finally the top of the bun.
5. Cut in half and its ready to serve.

Time to eat!

Enjoy!

Notes

1. You can also use beef or pork for the cutlet, same prep required. For the beef, rouladen works the best, for pork, a good tender roast filleted works well too.
2. Remember, if using the cast iron pan for frying be careful because the handle gets quite hot, also never pot the hot cast pan in cold water after using it, it can explode into pieces. Let it cool, wipe it off, then wash lightly.

• Author: Loreto
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: meat
• Method: frying
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: panino, cotoletta, tomato, lettuce, pesto mayo, cutlet, sandwich, Italian, snack,

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[This post is sponsored by The Italian Centre Shop. We’ve been compensated but -as always- all opinions are our own.]

Loreto

When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.