Italian-Style Chicken Cutlets - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
salt, to taste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter, 3 of them at room temperature
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Preparation

Break the bread into pieces. In a large bowl, soak the bread in the half-and-half until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Mix in the chicken, egg, salt (if any), pepper, and the 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter. Put in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up.
Remove the chicken mixture from the freezer; it will still be very soft. Form the mixture into four oval cutlets. Mix the parm and bread crumbs in a small bowl and coat the cutlets with the bread crumb mixture.
In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the oil over moderate heat. Cook the cutlets until golden brown and just done, 4 to 5 minutes per side.