Chicken Cutlet Sandwich

I watched Chef Alex Guarnaschelli (love her!) create this Chicken Cutlet Sandwich on Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  The extra time to make this sandwich is so worth it!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup canola oil
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 16 to 24 fresh sage leaves, stemmed
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds whole skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and pounded very thin
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried oregano
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups plain breadcrumbs
• 4 large crusty, seeded rolls, split
• 2 romaine hearts, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Cook the prosciutto and sage: Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel. In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 cup of the oil over low heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the prosciutto slices to the oil in the pan and cook until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them. Place them on the kitchen towel to drain. Next, add the sage leaves and cook until they pale in color and become crispy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and season them with salt. Set aside.

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and red wine vinegar.

Prepare the chicken cutlets: Prepare another baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken cutlets with the oregano and salt. Put the eggs in one bowl and the breadcrumbs in another. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg (on both sides) and then the breadcrumbs. Shake any excess off each one.

Cook the chicken cutlets: Add the remaining oil to the pan used to fry the prosciutto and heat it until it smokes lightly. Use a pair of tongs to carefully add a couple of the chicken cutlets to the oil in a single layer. Cook over medium heat on the first side until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn on their second side and cook 3 to 5 additional minutes. Cut a small incision in the middle of each cutlet to make sure they are completely cooked. If any are underdone, place in a warm oven to cook for a few additional minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining cutlets.

Assemble the sandwiches: Spoon a generous helping of the mayonnaise mixture on the bottom half of the roll. Top with a mound of lettuce. Top with the chicken cutlets, some Parmesan, sage leaves and prosciutto slices. Drizzle with additional mayonnaise if desired. Top with the other half of the roll.

Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese Burgers

Red Robin's Bleu Ribbon Burger was inspiration to find a similar recipe.  This one with caramelized onions is fantastic!

Ingredients for caramelized onions:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red, Spanish or sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Ingredients for burgers:

1½ to 1¾ pounds ground chuck
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled, plus extra for topping
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

To make the caramelized onions:
Place a large skillet over low heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring only occasionally as necessary, until the onions are deeply browned and slightly gooey, about 40 minutes. If the onions dry out, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Yield: ¾ to 1 cup)

To make the burgers:
Place the beef on a work surface and divide into 4 balls of equal size. Divide the blue cheese into 4 portions of equal size. Using your thumb or the back of a tablespoon, make a shallow hole in each portion of beef and fill it with the blue cheese. Shape the burger and carefully seal the opening.
Form each into a patty about ¾ to 1 inch thick. To ensure more even cooking, make a ½-inch indentation with your thumb in the center of the burger. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Prepare a grill to medium-high.  Grill burgers. Serve on bun with caramelized onions.