Pass the chicken

One of the most fun and most stomach churning parts of food shopping in Spain are the chicken butchers. Great expanses of chicken await the poultry patron; whole birds with feet and heads included, viscera, eggs, chicken parts and everything in between. As a conscientious carnivore (an expression I just made up,) I like to think of myself as person who engages with the reality of meat eating (it comes from an animal) and embraces the fullness of the meat-eating experience. This is of course a lie I tell myself. I am out of my mind at these places, I just try and keep an ever mounting sense of panic and distress at bay. But I really love the chicken breast fillets. I suffer minor carnage-induced panic attacks to watch a
bloody-fingered carnicero fillet a chicken breast into super-thin morsels of delciousness. I take them home and make everything from Thai basil stir fry to mustard breaded cutlets. Yum. A little nausea is a small price to pay for something great, plus a reminder of where food really comes from.





Mustard Breaded Chicken With Pesto and Vegetable Pasta
Serves 4

4 super thin chicken fillets (cut thin or pounded flat)
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
a little ground pepper

Beat egg and mustard in a wide bowl

Mix flour, oregano, cheese, salt and pepper in another wide bowl.

Heat a large skillet and a generous glug of olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan). Dip fillet in egg mixture and then pass through flour mixture, shaking off excess. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Serve with fettuccine tossed with pesto and sauteed green beans and tomatoes.

For pesto recipe, please email my mom!