Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
  • A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 8 turkey cutlets, pounded thin (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)
  • 1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • A pinch nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cups arugula, chopped
  • 1 handful of basil leaves, cut into ribbons
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Yield

Serves: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200F.

Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about two tablespoons. In a saucepot, bring the chicken stock and butter up to a boil for the pumpkin polenta.

Meanwhile, set up 3 separate shallow dishes: Place the flour in one dish, whisk up the egg and milk in another dish, and mix up the bread crumbs, parsley and Parmigiano cheese in the last dish.

Season the cutlets with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dip each one into the flour, then the egg mixture and finally into the cheesy breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the rest of the turkey cutlets. Add the seasoned breaded cutlets to the preheated pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes until nice and golden brown on each side. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. When the first batch is done cooking, place them in the oven to keep them warm and crispy while you finish the rest of the cutlets.

While the turkey is cooking, add the pumpkin puree and polenta into the boiling chicken stock and butter. Stir until in thickens up and looks like hot cereal, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey, nutmeg, thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reserve the pumpkin polenta in a warm spot on the stovetop, but not on a burner. No worries if it thickens up, just add a little more warm chicken stock and stir over medium heat to loosen it up to proper consistency.

For the salad, mix the arugula, basil and tomatoes together in a bowl with the lemon juice, remaining two tablespoons of EVOO, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, top the Turkey Milanese cutlets with some arugula salad and a dollop of the pumpkin polenta alongside.