Chicken thigh fillets are one of my regular freezer standbys. I freeze them unfurled and separately, so they can be used singly and defrost quickly. One favourite idea is beating them between sheets of parchment paper to make escalopes. They are then floured, egg and bread-crumbed, ready to be quickly fried to a crisp. Sometimes I smear the floured chicken with Dijon mustard or mix in chopped herbs and regularly serve the escalopes with something creamy or vibrant or both. Guacomole is a case in point; the avocado is soft and creamy, the tomato, onion and chilli cling to its creaminess. It’s lovely scooped up with a crisp slice of escalope. It is also a recipe to scale up or down.
Serves 2
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 10 min
4 chicken thigh fillets
flour
2 eggs
200g fresh breadcrumbs
sunflour or similar oil
lemon wedges
for the guacamole:
2 ripe but firm avocados
1 lime
80g red onion
16 cherry tomatoes or 2 decent
tomatoes, approx 150g
1 red bird’s eye chilli
25g coriander
To make the escalopes, unfurl the chicken, removing skin and any fat as necessary. Pat dry with kitchen paper and working on one fillet at a time, place on a large piece of kitchen parchment. Cover with a second piece. Use a rolling pin and bash firmly until the fillet is almost double its original size. Turn regularly and turn over regularly so you strike evenly all over the fillet. Remove the top sheet, dust the pieces with flour, shake off excess and return to the sheet of parchment. Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl and spread the crumbs mixed on a large plate/chopping board. Using tongs, swipe one chicken piece at a time through the egg and then onto the crumbs, transferring to a plate. Either chill covered with a stretch of clingfilm or cook immediately by heating the 2 tbsp oil in a spacious frying pan over a medium heat. Cook one escalope at a time, frying for a couple of minutes until you can see crusty edges, then turn, repeat then lower the temperature and cook gently for a couple of minutes a side until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Keep warm while you continue with the other fillets. To make the guacamole, run a sharp knife round the length of the avocados. Twist apart, remove the stone and use a spoon to scoop all the flesh into a bowl. Squeeze the lime over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Mash coarsely whilst stirring to mix. Chop the tomatoes and finely chop the shallot. Finely dice the chilli, discarding seeds. Mix into the avocado. Stir in 2 tbsp chopped coriander. Drape with clingfilm and chill until required.