Pechugas de Pollo Villaroy

Ingredients

• 4chicken breasts — poached and sliced
• 80 gunsalted butter
• 100 gall-purpose flour
• 700 mlwhole milk — warmed
• 1 pinchfreshly grated nutmeg
• 2eggs — beaten
• 150 gfine breadcrumbs
• olive oilfor deep frying
• to tastefine sea salt and white pepper

Method

1. Begin by patting the 4 chicken breasts dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season them generously with fine sea salt and white pepper on both sides. In a large skillet, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the hot oil and cook until the skin is golden and crisp, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, melt 80 g of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 100 g of all-purpose flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon to form a smooth roux. Cook the roux for about 2 minutes until it turns a pale golden color, which indicates the raw flour taste has cooked out.
3. Gradually whisk in 700 ml of whole milk, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens into a smooth béchamel sauce. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and adjust seasoning with fine sea salt and white pepper to taste. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the béchamel sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to ensure they are well-coated. Cover the skillet and let the chicken simmer gently on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
5. Remove the chicken from the sauce and let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare a breading station with 2 beaten eggs in one bowl and 150 g of fine breadcrumbs in another. Dip each chicken breast first into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat it thoroughly with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere.
6. In a deep frying pan or pot, heat enough olive oil to submerge the chicken pieces. Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the breaded chicken breasts into the oil. Fry them in batches if necessary, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
7. Once fried, transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Serve the Pechugas de Pollo Villaroy hot, optionally garnished with a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Accompany with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.