Why this recipe works: For crisp, moist fried chicken, we start by pounding chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness to ensure even cooking. Seasoning the chicken, instead of the breading, guarantees that the meat will be well seasoned. Homemade bread crumbs are easy to make and give a light, crisp texture. Using a standard breading procedure (dipping in flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs) ensures that the breading will stay in place. Shallow-frying cutlets, two at a time, ensures even cooking without creating too much steam that would otherwise leave the bread crumbs soggy. Gently pressing the cutlets with a spatula ensures that they will lie flat while they fry. Finally, resting the cutlets on a paper towel–lined wire rack for about 15 seconds per side removes grease. Moving the cutlets to the unlined side of the wire rack kept the coating crisp while we finished the next batch.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
• 1/4 cup table salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups homemade bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp plus 3/4 cup olive oil
• lemon wedges for serving

1. Using a meat pounder or mallet, pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Dissolve the sale in 1 quart cold water in a gallon-szed ziplock bag. Add the cutlets and seal the bag. Refrigerate until the cutlets are fully seasoned, 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels.
2. Remove the cutlets and lay them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and press firmly to absorb the moisture. Allow the cutlets to dry for at least 10 minutes. Carefully peel the paper towels off the cutlets; sprinkle the cutlets with pepper and set them aside.
3. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish or pie plate. Spread the flour in a second shallow dish or pie plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tbsp olive oil in a third shallow dish. Working one at a time, dredge the cutlets thoroughly in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip the cutlets into the egg, taking care to coat them thoroughly and allowing the excess to drip back into the dish for a very thin coating. Dip the cutlets into the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs with your fingers to form an even, cohesive crust on both sides of the cutlet. Place cutlets in a single layer on a wire rack and let dry for about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 6 tbsp of oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until the oil shimmers. Lay two cutlets at a time in the skillet and cook until deep golden brown and crisp on the first side, pressing down with a wide metal spatula to help ensure browning, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cutlets over, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently and the second side is a deep golden brown, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Set the finished cutlets on paper towels on a warmed plate in the oven while you cook the others in the same way. Serve with lemon wedges.