As I explore the fusion of Mexican and Italian cooking, I've come to find that these flavors work incredibly well together. Italians may not like seeing latin-laced renditions of their dishes but I would argue that they are a match made in heaven. This is probably one of my favorite examples of that. As always, remember to measure with your heart, trust your tongue and enjoy the process. Good cooking comes when you employ all of your senses. Now get cooking.
Marinara:
4 guajillo chiles, de-seeded
4 tomatoes
½ Spanish onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 chile de árbol, toasted
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon tomato-chicken bouillon seasoning
Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, butterflied Neutral oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
Mexican hot sauce, to taste
½ cup panko
½ cup bread crumbs
1 cup Cotija, divided
1½ tablespoons Mexican oregano
6 slices Oaxaca cheese
For serving:
chopped cilantro and lime wedges
Make the marinara:
1 In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the guajillo chiles until fragrant. Remove to a plate.
2 In the same saucepan over high heat, cook the tomatoes and onion until scorched and charred.
3 Add the olive oil, garlic, and chile de árbol. Deglaze with the water, then add the oregano and bouillon seasoning. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken:
4 Pound the chicken between plastic wrap with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer to a ½-inch thickness.
5 Heat 1-inch neutral oil in a large pan to 350°F (180°C). Preheat the oven broiler. Place a wire rack onto a baking sheet.
6 Add flour to a shallow bowl, Whisked eggs and hot sauce in a second shallow bowl. And panko, bread crumbs, ¼ cup Cotija, and oregano in a third shallow bowl. Season each bowl with salt and pepper.
7 Dredge the chicken in the flour, dip in the egg, and press into the bread crumbs until evenly coated.
8 Fry until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
9 Blend the marinara with a hand blender until smooth. Ladle
10 over each cutlet, sprinkle with Cotija, and top with the Oaxaca cheese.
11 Broil the chicken until the cheese is melted.
12 Plate over salsa and top with Cotija, cilantro, and lime. Enjoy!
