Pozharsky Cutlets

Name: Pozharsky Cutlets
Ingredients: 800 g chicken breast fillet; 100 g white loaf bread (stale is preferred); 100-150 ml heavy cream 10-20%; 50 g butter; salt; pepper; ≈200 g stale white loaf bread; 2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)

These incredibly tender cutlets are a true classic of Russian cuisine. Legend links the name Pozharsky cutlets to an innkeeper named Darya Pozharskaya. Originally the cutlets were made with young veal, but over time chicken became the go-to meat. Nowadays the name is generally used for any delicious breaded chicken cutlets. The one fairly consistent rule is that Pozharsky cutlets typically don't include egg or onion — though even that isn't set in stone. Since chicken breast fillet tends to be on the dry side, I added butter to the mixture, and instead of the traditional milk I soaked the bread in heavy cream. The result was tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious Pozharsky cutlets. They're not much harder to make than regular cutlets, and I'll walk you through every detail in the recipe. This batch made 10 fairly large cutlets.

Ingredients:

800 g chicken breast fillet
100 g white loaf bread (stale is preferred)
100-150 ml heavy cream 10-20%
50 g butter
salt
pepper
Also:
≈200 g stale white loaf bread
2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)

How to cook Pozharsky cutlets

Cut the crusts off the bread and tear or cut it into pieces. Pour the heavy cream over it and let it soak for 3–5 minutes. The amount of cream you need will depend on how stale the bread is.

Cut the chicken breast fillet into pieces and pulse in a food processor until finely chopped — don't over-process it into a smooth paste. Alternatively, run the fillet through the fine plate of a meat grinder.

Squeeze the soaked bread by hand and add it to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Knead the mixture very thoroughly. I switched to the plastic paddle attachment in my food processor and continued mixing with that. If you used a meat grinder, knead and beat the mixture thoroughly by hand.

Grate frozen butter (straight from the freezer) on a coarse grater directly into the mixture, folding it in periodically for even distribution (preferably with a spoon rather than your hands, to keep the butter from melting). Refrigerate the mixture for about 20–30 minutes, or longer. This helps the cutlets hold their shape more easily when forming and frying.

Cut the crusts off the stale bread and grate the crumb on a coarse grater.

With wet hands, shape the mixture into oblong cutlets (I got 10). Coat each one in the breadcrumbs.

Melt the butter and vegetable oil together in a skillet. Add the cutlets and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Flip and fry for another 5 minutes. Then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and cook through for about 5 more minutes.

I baked some of the cutlets in the oven. To do this, place the shaped cutlets in a buttered baking dish and top each one with a thin slice of butter.

Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for about 20–30 minutes. They turned out absolutely delicious this way too.

And here's a beautiful cross-section of the pan-fried Pozharsky cutlets.

These tender, juicy, and incredibly delicious Pozharsky cutlets are perfect for lunch or dinner. I served mine with mashed potatoes, but any side dish you like works just as well.