A few days ago while preparing an old standby, Chicken Parmesan, I realized I had never posted this familiar entree on my blog. I have been making it for years, and haven’t found anyone who doesn’t love this dish.
The crisp cutlets are not difficult to prepare as long as you have all your ingredients organized and ready to go for the breading process (think light, not heavy, and do not crowd the pan while frying them to a beautiful golden color).
After preparing the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and keeping them warm in the oven I spread a bit of homemade tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Place the cutlets on top of the tomato sauce, sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese and grated pecorino Romano (of course you can use Parmesan, if you prefer), and bake them in a 350 degree oven just till heated through and the cheese has melted.
Serve with a side of spaghetti and some additional sauce.
Chicken Parmesan (serves 6)
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, pounded until about ¼ inch thick
1 cup all- purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 and ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
½-¾ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, plus extra for finishing and serving
¾ to 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Unsalted butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
Classic American-Style Tomato Sauce (recipe below)
Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or even the underside of a small skillet until ¼-inch thick.
Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate or a glass pie plate.
On a second plate, beat the eggs with the water.
On the third plate combine the Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) with the ½ to ¾ cups of grated cheese.
Coat the chicken on both sides with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Then dip both sides in the egg mixture, and dredge them on both sides in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly so it adheres.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 breasts on medium low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, til cooked through.
Add more butter and oil to cook the remaining breasts.
Remove to a sheet pan and place in a 250 to 300 degree oven to keep warm for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and raise temperature to 350 degrees.
Spoon some tomato sauce on the bottom of the glass baking dish, and place the chicken breasts on top.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and the grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Return to oven to heat through and melt cheese.
Classic American-Style Tomato Sauce ( The Pasta cookbook from Food and Wine Books)
Thick, robust, and fragrant with thyme, oregano and bay, this sauce is wonderful with spaghetti and meatballs, on its own over spaghetti, in lasagne or in Chicken Parmesan…
Makes about 2 and ½ cups ( can easily be doubled or even tripled)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced (more if you prefer)
2 and ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes (I love San Marzano)
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 and ½ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 and ¼ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and salt.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until thickened, for about 1 hour.
Add the pepper.