Turkey cutlet: the recipe to prepare it with crispy breading
The turkey cutlet is a tasty main course. The recipe for preparing fragrant and flavorful cutlets is very simple, just follow a few simple rules and the result is guaranteed. The secret is to obtain a crispy breading, without letting the slice of meat dry on the inside.
The classic Italian recipe use veal meat, preferably with the bone, but you can also prepare excellent tasty cutlets with turkey meat. This type of white meat has a longer cooking time than chicken, so the risk is that it tends to dry out. For this, make a thick breading, tasty and enriched with parsley and chili pepper, but also olives or capers if you like them.
How to prepare a crispy turkey cutlet
To prepare the breading, clean a fresh chilli pepper and cut it into small pieces. Do the same, separately, with capers and olives, then finely chop the parsley.
Pour 100ml of olive oil into a pan and add a clove of garlic and chilli pepper. Brown a few seconds, then add the capers and chopped olives.
Turn up the heat and pour 200 grams (about 2 cups) of breadcrumbs. Let it toast for a few minutes, mixing well with a spoon. Remove the clove of garlic and pass it all in a baking dish. Finally add the chopped parsley and mix.
Beat 2 medium eggs and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well, then dip one slice at a time into the mixture.
Pass each slice covered with eggs in the breading you have prepared, pressing them lightly, so that the seasoning sticks well to the meat.
Heat plenty of oil in a pan and, as soon as it is very hot, dip the breaded slices of meat.
Cook 2-3 minutes per side and turn off the heat only when the breading becomes crispy and golden.
Let it dry for a few seconds on paper towels and enjoy them hot.
Some tips for a crunchy cutlet
If the turkey meat is very thick, before starting the preparation you can flatten the slices with the help of a meat tenderizer.
For a more flavorful breading, you can replace parsley with your favorite flavors, such as thyme or marjoram. For a rich breading, you can also add 20 grams (about ¼ cup) of Parmesan cheese.
Olive oil is suitable for frying cutlets, but it has also a very intense taste. Alternatively, you can choose peanut oil, which is good for high frying temperatures and has a high smoke point. The important thing is that the oil in the pan is abundant, otherwise it will cool down quickly without giving the cutlet its classic crisp appearance.
Choose a large, low pan with straight edges. If possible, prefer an iron or steel pan, which allows the oil to gradually increase the temperature.
A flawless tip for crispy cutlets is to slightly cut the edges of the slices, to help the breading stick to the meat, without forming folds.
Fry a few cutlets at a time, to prevent the breading from coming off, or from dropping the oil temperature too much.
For a lighter version of the classic turkey cutlets, you can bake the slices in the oven instead of frying them. Arrange them on a baking tray wrapped with parchment paper and greased with a spoonful of oil. Bake in ventilated mode at 200 degrees C for 15-18 minutes for an equally crispy result.
Preservation
Serve the turkey cutlets hot, to best enjoy the crunchiness. However, if you don’t eat them all, you can always preserve them in the refrigerator well covered by clingfilm, for a maximum of 1 day. Alternatively, you can freeze your cutlets in the freezer even if already cooked and heat them a bit in the oven after thawing them.
