We eat a lot of chicken in this house.  It's fairly in-expensive, and we just like it.   We don't eat a lot of red meat actually, saving it for a rare treat like the odd pork chop, lamb chop or steak . . .

 

I only buy free range chicken.   I made a conscious decision several years back that I would only eat responsibly reared and sourced meat, fish and poultry.  

It means that we have really cut down our consumption of those things because well . . .  responsibly reared and sourced products cost more, and I would rather pay a bit more and eat protein like that a little less often.

 

This is a chicken that has really come home to roost in recent weeks (no pun intended) as we have come to learn that a great deal of our meat products, specifically those used in ready meals, beef burgers, etc. have been contaminated with horse meat and who knows what else . . . 

Its a nasty business all round.   I have nothing against eating horse if that is what you choose to do . . . but when I pay for beef, I expect to be eating beef.  In France you see dedicated horse meat sections in the grocery shops. That's great if that's what you want to eat.

I don't really want to eat it and I don't like thinking that we have been tricked into doing so without our knowledge. Not that I eat a lot of grocery store beef. I don't. All the more reason not to.

 

This recipe here today is a delicious way to make two large single chicken breasts stretch to deliciously feed four people.   

Yes, four people, and nobody will feel like they have been shortchanged, just so long as you use decently sized chicken breasts.



The magic happens when you slice each breast into two pieces and then gently pound them out flat.  

They are then simply pan grilled and a delicious sauce is made using quite simply . . . sage, butter and lemon.



Delicious served with rice and peas. I cheated today and used a pouch of mushroom rice, but any rice will do.   

Really I'd love to have them with pasta, but you know . . . the Toddster, he's not so fond . . .



*Chicken Cutlets with Sage, Lemon & Butter*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Quick, simple and delicious.  One of my favourite ways to prepare chicken.

4 TBS plain flour
2 large chicken breasts cut into 4 escallopes
(Cut them in half lengthwise through the middle into two
long thin pieces)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and bruised
1 tsp freeze dried sage leaves
the juice of half a lemon

Place your chicken cutlets between two sheets of cling film and bash them gently to flatten them out a bit.  Dust them lightly with flour, patting it on and shaking off any excess.  Heat the oil and 1/2 of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  

Once it begins to foam, add the chicken and brown lightly on both sides, seasoning it to taste with some salt and black pepper.   

Add the garlic and the sage to the pan along with the remaining butter.   Squeeze in the lemon juice and let it bubble up a minute.  Serve immediately with some of the lemony juices spooned over each cutlet.