In our family we call this Grandma Chicken … because, well, Grandma made it every Sunday.
So here is Rose’s version.
Flatten boneless, skinless chicken breasts or fillet/butterfly them horizontally into thin pieces.
Break one eggs for each ½ pound or so of chicken into a pie pan or other wide bottomed bowl. Add ground black pepper and chopped fresh or frozen basil to taste. Beat lightly with a fork.
Make a bread crumb mixture with dry Italian bread and grated Romano cheese, proportioned about half and half. Add chopped fresh or frozen basil.
Bread the chicken by dipping in the egg mix followed by the bread crumb mix. See breading tips for the process.
Fry the breaded chicken in a mix of half olive oil and half canola oil poured to about ¼ inch deep in your frying pan. I prefer a non stick pan despite also using oil.
Heat to medium high, just under the smoking point. Place chicken pieces in the oil gently, expect it to splatter some. Allow to brown slightly and turn using 2 forks trying not to disturb the breading. After 2nd side is browned remove and drain on paper towels.
Keep adding new chicken pieces as the cooked ones are removed trying to achieve a balance that keeps the oil temperature stable…too little chicken and the oil and any loose crumbs in it can burn…too much chicken too fast and the oil temperature goes down and the fried chicken absorbs excess fat instead of just crisping up nicely
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Dry Italian Seasonings can be substituted for the basil or purchased Italian Seasoninged bread crumbs can be used … neither is quite as good as basil though.
shaogo says re Chicken Milanese: The reason "Italian Seasonings" or Seasoned bread crumbs don't work nearly as well? They contain oregano, which has its uses; just not in *authentic* northern Italian cooking. (And precious little in the cooking of the South).