RIDGE & ROOT RECIPES: HOT MAPLE CHILE CRISP CHICKEN CUTLETS
BEST CHICKEN EVER? POSSIBLY!
Down in Alum Creek, in Lincoln County, Paul Ronk and his family work 105 acres with something like 2,000 maple trees on it. I got to spend some time with their syrup for a few videos with Appalachian Cellar, and it ruined me a little for the stuff in the plastic jug. Real maple has depth. Caramel, a little smoke, the richness brought on by time, care, and skill. Pouring it over pancakes and calling it a day would be a waste.
So I put it to work. This is a crispy chicken cutlet with a sweet, salty, spicy marinade, finished with a hot maple drizzle. It’s the hot honey idea, made with what grows here. We’ve always known how to make a little sweet go a long way.
First, a few tips to amp this one up.
Keep your cutlets thin. About ¼ inch. If your store doesn’t sell them pre-sliced, lay a breast flat and slice it sideways in half, or cut it in half and pound it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Thin chicken cooks through before the crust burns. Thick chicken gives you a burnt crust and a raw middle, and nobody wants that.
Use the marinade twice. Professional cooks are always looking for ways to cross-utilize ingredients, and this is a great chance to make sure nothing goes to waste. After the chicken comes out, whisk your eggs straight into the remaining marinade. The egg wash picks up all that chile and maple flavor and carries it into the crust. It’s one less bowl to wash, too. Score!
Mind your heat. Maple browns faster than plain sugar, so stay at medium. If the panko darkens before the first side has had two minutes, pull the pan off the burner for a bit. Use a thermometer and pull the chicken at 160°F and let it rest for five minutes.
While it rests, let it rest on a rack. Set the fried cutlets on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Paper towels steam the bottom, and you worked too hard on that crust to let it go soggy now.
Don’t sauce with the leftovers. Once the eggs go in, the marinade becomes egg wash, so toss it off when the breading’s done. The hot maple gets its own pan anyway, and it’s sweeter and brighter than the marinade would ever be.
Hot Maple Chile Crisp Chicken Cutlets Yield: Serves 4 Prep 10 minutes, plus up to 8 hours marinating Cook 30 minutes
For the cutlets
3 T chile crisp, plus more for serving
3 T soy sauce
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T Ronk Family Farm maple syrup
2 t kosher salt
1¼ to 1½ lbs thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 to 6 cutlets)
½ C all-purpose flour
2 ea large eggs
1½ C panko bread crumbs
Neutral oil, for frying
For the hot maple
¼ C Ronk Family Farm maple syrup
1 T chili crisp
1 T unsalted butter
1 t apple cider vinegar
Pinch kosher salt
NOW WE'RE GETTIN' SOMEWHERE!
In a medium bowl, whisk the chile crisp, soy sauce, cider vinegar, maple syrup, and salt until the salt dissolves. Add the chicken and turn to coat. You can bread it right away, or cover it and let it sit in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
Set out two shallow dishes, one with flour and one with panko. Lift each cutlet out of the marinade, let it drip, and dredge it in flour. Once they’re all floured, whisk the eggs into the leftover marinade. Shake the extra flour off each cutlet, dip it in the egg mixture, let the excess run off, and press both sides into the panko. Lay the breaded cutlets on a sheet pan and discard any remaining egg mixture. If you have an hour, slide the pan into the fridge so the crust sets up.
For the hot maple, warm the maple syrup, chile crisp, butter, cider vinegar, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, just until the butter melts. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until a crumb of panko sizzles the second it hits. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Fry two cutlets at a time, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and the thickest part reads 165°F. Move them to the rack and lightly salt while they’re hot. Repeat with the rest, adding a little oil between batches if the pan runs low.
Serve hot, drizzled with hot maple syrup. Goes great with green beans and sweet potatoes, or collard greens and mashed potatoes.
Get to cookin', folks! -- Chef Matt
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