Chicken Sautéed with Cheese and Milk, and Crispy Potatoes with Rosemary and Seasalt

Every few weeks, we will make a trip to the local library with the family, where the kids will entertain themselves at the children's section, and I will head to the shelves where all the cookbooks are. The collection of cookbooks is pretty small, and I usually end up borrowing the same ones again if I happen to like the recipes. One of them is Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, which has an adorable photograph of a pair of red leather Mary Janes on the front cover. I like it that it has recipes with interesting-sounding names, and most of the recipes are simple and easy to follow, using only a handful of ingredients. There was a recipe for chicken sauteed with cheese and milk which has caught my eye a number of times, and I guess partly because the book usually opens up to that page when I'm flipping through it.

This dish is literally sauteed chicken topped with some cheese, and served with a milk sauce. Of course, after the milk's reduced in the pan, it turns into a thick bubbly roux-like cream. The original recipe uses fontina cheese, but I reckon any sort of melty cheese will do. I couldn't find fontina, and so I substituted with swiss cheese instead. There's something about melted cheese and milk that makes food sound so comforting and delicious. The next time I make this, I might place some sliced avocadoes on top of the chicken and let the cheese melt over it. Mmm...chicken and avocado melt sounds good, or any sort of melt for that matter. I served the chicken with a simple salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I also made a side of crispy potatoes pan-fried with rosemary, and served with a sprinkling of seasalt.

Chicken Sautéed with Cheese and Milk

Adapted from Apples for Jam

Ingredients

2 small chicken breast fillets

3 tbsp plain flour, for dusting

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large thin slices fontina cheese (or substitute with other melting cheeses like Swiss or Gruyere)

1/2 cup milk

Method

Slice each chicken breast thinly to give two escalopes. Cover with clingwrap and flatten both sides with a meat mallet. Lightly dust with flour.

Heat up oil in a large non-stick pan on high. Fry the chicken for about 2-3 minutes each side until browned and cooked. Season each side with salt and pepper. Place the cheese over each escalope, covering the chicken completely. Add milk to the pan, and put the lid on. When the cheese is melted and the milk turns into a bubbly creamy sauce, take the pan off the heat. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.