Za’atar Chicken Cutlets With Cabbage Salad

 Breading chicken with panko plus homemade za’atar creates cutlets with tons of nutty, floral, and tangy flavor. Mixing your za’atar to ensure that the proportions of bright, lemony sumac and textural sesame seeds are just right for the purposes here. Leftover cutlets and cabbage can be layered between slices of tahini-slathered sourdough for a deliciously crunchy chicken sandwich the next day. 

Za’atar Chicken Cutlets With Cabbage Salad
  

Ingredients

TAHINI SAUCE

1.     1 small garlic clove, finely grated

2.     ½ cup tahini

3.     ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

4.     3 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

5.     Kosher salt

CHICKEN AND ASSEMBLY

1.     3 large eggs, beaten to blend

2.     1 cup all-purpose flour

3.     1 cup panko

4.     ½ cup raw white sesame seeds

5.     ⅓ cup crushed dried thyme and/or oregano

6.     ¼ cup sumac

7.     2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb. total)

8.     Kosher salt

9.     Vegetable oil (for frying; 3–4 cups)

10.  ½ head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

11.  ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced

12. 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

13. 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

14.   6 salt-brined Middle Eastern–style or other pickles, halved lengthwise, sliced on a diagonal

 

 Preparation

1.   TAHINI SAUCE

Step 1

Whisk garlic, tahini, lemon juice, oil, and ¼ cup water in a small bowl to combine; season with salt.

2.   CHICKEN AND ASSEMBLY

Step 2

Place eggs, flour, and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls. Mix sesame seeds, thyme, and sumac into panko.

Step 3

Working one at a time, hold a long knife parallel to a cutting board and cut chicken breasts in half, slicing along a long side to make 4 thin cutlets. Place a cutlet between 2 large sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to ⅓" thick. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Step 4

Season both sides of a cutlet with salt. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into egg wash, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge in panko mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Step 5

Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy high-sided skillet to come ½" up sides. Heat over medium until an instant-read thermometer registers 400°. Working in batches and returning oil to 400° after each batch, carefully lower cutlets into skillet with tongs;

Step 6

Place cabbage, onion, olive oil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt. Toss, lightly squeezing, until cabbage is slightly wilted. Add pickles and toss again just to combine.

Step 7

Serve cutlets with cabbage salad and tahini sauce.