Chicken Milanese with Spaghetti in Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

This dinner is a favourite of Mrs Ribeye's and very easy to make. We love Italian food and used to frequent La Porchetta in Muswell Hill in north London, before the 4'11" waiter started getting too big for his size 3 boots and favoured barking angrily at his customers as a form of communication. What an idiota.

Anyway, since we don't live in north London any more, the situation has resolved itself, and we are now on the look out for a local pizza/pasteria - but in the meantime we sate our pasta cravings with this dish.

Veal is generally the correct meat for this recipe, but chicken is a very handy and much cheaper substitute. All-in, this comes to £2.50 per serving. If I make this dish with veal instead, the cost doubles - but on occasion I don't mind. Valentine's day is Tuesday - maybe Mrs Ribeye and I will take a walk around Marylebone and find a new place to eat out, or (more likely) maybe I'll spend a little extra at my local butcher and go a bit over my Potless budget.

Serves 4

Chicken Milanese

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons of flour
Pinches of salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
100g breadcrumbs or matzo meal
Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm and gently flatten them out with a rolling pin, ensuring that they each stay in one piece. Mix the flour and the salt and pepper together and coat the chicken breasts. Shake off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. In a frying pan, on a moderate heat, fry the chicken breasts until golden and crunchy on the outsides and cooked through the middle (15 minutes approx), turning once. Serve with the spaghetti in tomato and mushroom sauce.

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Spaghetti in Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

250g mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Pinches of salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
400g tin of chopped Italian tomatoes
300ml water

500g cooked spaghetti, to serve

In a saucepan with the lid on, fry the mushrooms, onion, garlic, oil, salt and pepper and oregano together until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is soft and translucent (20 minutes approx). Add the tomatoes and water and cook on a low heat, uncovered now, until the water has evaporated and the sauce is thick and unctuous (1 hour approx). Mix the sauce into the cooked spaghetti, and serve.