Chicken Cutlet with Saffron Rice

This dish is so simple to prepare, a child could whip it up (providing you’d let your child near the hot burner.) To compliment the chicken cutlet, I wanted the rice to have more oomph. For a moment, I toyed around with the idea of flavoring the rice with white truffles. But, at $350 an ounce, that was no option. Luckily, I had saved some strands of saffron in a tightly closed jar and decided this was the perfect time to use them.
As usual I cooked the rice in the rice cooker. The saffron accomplished two things: it imbued the rice with a deep orange color, exuded an enticing aroma and heightened the flavor. The chicken all but cooked itself.
The only trick here is timing. The chicken has to be cooked and served à la minute. The saffron has to be steeped for at least 20 minutes. The rice takes about 45 minutes to cook. The eggs are no brainers. You do the math.

Menu

Hard boiled eggs, stuffed with salmon roe*
Chicken cutlet
Saffron Rice
Braised Brussels sprouts
Wine: Pouilly-Fume 2008, Pascal Jolivet
Dessert Muscat Grapes

*The best way to cook hard boiled eggs is to put them in pan and cover with cold water. When the water boils, shut it off and let the eggs sit in the water for 10 minutes. Remove and rinse in cold water and peel immediately. Scoop out the eggs yolk, mash and mix with the salmon roe. If desired, add a little soft butter.

Recipes

The Rice

Steep three strands of saffron in 1 cup of warm water for 20 minutes. If necessary break apart.
1 cup sushi rice, rinsed several times under cold water
½ cup Mirin sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
1 bouillon cube, crushed
2 bay leaves
A splash of corn or vegetable oil

Put the washed rice into the rice cooker. Add the above ingredients, cover the rice and cooker and turn on the heat. The rice cooker will shut off automatically after about 20 minutes after which it takes another 20 minutes for the rice to settle and cook through. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

The Chicken

1 chicken breast, boned and skinned, cut into 2 pieces and flattened out
Salt and pepper
About 1 tablespoon clarified butter
Lemon wedges
Chopped curly parsley for garnish

Dry the chicken breasts thoroughly on a paper towel
Season both sides with salt and pepper
Heat the butter in a nonstick frying pan
Sauté chicken breast in the hot butter for 1 minute on each side.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.