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The only vaguely difficult thing with this recipe is pounding out the chicken breasts (of course, you could buy thin-sliced cutlets, but then they won't be very big; you'll need at least two per person). We have avoided making this at home precisely because we don't want to make a racket banging on chicken breasts.

But really, it's not that big of a deal. Grab a small, heavy pot, put a piece of parchment paper, thick plastic wrap, or aluminum foil on top of the chicken breast, and hammer away. Fewer whacks with the whole surface of the pan seem to work best.

Once you've pounded out your chicken, you've done most of the work. Because the cooking is quick and easy, and the salad can be tossed ahead of time and dressed right before you serve the meal.

And oh, the salad. You can really put anything in it, but this combination was divine. We had fresh corn, red and orange cherry tomatoes, slices of fingerling potatoes, hearts of palm, and a sprinkling of ricotta salata. The whole thing was dressed in a lemony dijon vinaigrette and piled on top of our chicken. Beautiful and delicious.

Chicken Milanese with Summer Salad
serves four

For the salad:
5 to 6 fingerling potatoes
1 ear corn
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large handfuls of baby lettuce or arugula (or a mix), washed and dried
3/4 cup sliced hearts of palm
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
2 ounces ricotta salata

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Have a bowl of ice water off to the side. Add the fingerling potatoes to the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until one can be sliced in half easily. Remove the potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and put in the ice bath until cool. Remove, pat dry, and slice into 1/4-inch rounds.

Cook the ear of corn, in its husk, in the microwave- on high for 3 minutes. Remove, allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then shuck. Cut the kernels off the cob and add to a bowl with the potatoes, tomatoes, lettuces, and hearts of palm.

Make the vinaigrette. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard in a bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Set aside until the chicken is cooked (you'll dress the salad and use the ricotta salata when you plate the food).

For the chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin (about 1/4 inch)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
juice of 1/2 lemon

Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a very large (14-inch) skillet over high heat. Pour the beaten eggs into a shallow pie plate. Pile the breadcrumbs onto a plate or in another pie plate and season with salt and pepper (mix the salt and pepper in with your fingers).

Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip it into the eggs, then allow the excess to drip off. Place it in the breadcrumbs and coat on both sides, then gently lay the chicken breast into the pan. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, flipping carefully with tongs, until the breadcrumbs are a deep golden color and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan, set on a plate, and squeeze the lemon juice over them.

To serve, toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Place one chicken breast on each plate and top with the salad. Crumble the ricotta salata on top of each salad and season with salt and pepper.

Related: 10 Uses for Ricotta Salata

(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)