Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
All purpose flour, for dredging
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups finely grated aged Jack cheese or Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
5 cups (not packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
The coated chicken (uncooked) and the dressing can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered separately and refrigerated. Let the dressing stand at room temperature for 15 minutes and rewhisk before using.
Using a meat mallet, pound each chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Place the flour in a pie plate. In a second pie plate, lightly whisk the eggs to blend. In a third pie plate, mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together.
Sprinkle the chicken cutlets generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Working with one chicken cutlet at a time, dip the cutlets into the flour to coat lightly, then into the eggs, and lastly, dip them into the breadcrumb mixture and pat firmly to coat completely. Place the coated chicken cutlets on a baking sheet or a plate lined with waxed paper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the honey, vinegar, and Dijon mustard to blend. Slowly add the oil while constantly whisking. Stir in the chives. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
In each of 2 large nonstick frying pans or flat griddle pans, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add 2 chicken cutlets to each pan and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken cutlets over and melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1/2 tablespoon of oil around the cutlets in each pan. Continue cooking until the chicken cutlets are golden brown on the bottom and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken cutlets to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil and butter.
In a large bowl, toss the spinach leaves with enough vinaigrette to coat, reserving some vinaigrette to spoon over the chicken. Mound the spinach salad on 4 plates.
Cut the chicken cutlets on a sharp diagonal in half. Arrange the chicken on the spinach salad. Drizzle the reserved vinaigrette over the chicken and serve.