Recipe of the Week: Chicken Parmigiana

This pretty, classic breaded cutlet will be a winner in any household. Breading any cutlets is a great technique to get a crispy coating, as well as making the overall volume of your main course a little bigger. And bread is still cheaper than meat (for now…)!

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

7 Tbsp                  olive oil (divided)

1                            small onion, finely diced

2                            garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ cups              tomato passata (aka tomato puree)

6                            basil leaves, chopped

To taste               Salt and pepper

2                            boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each about 9–10 ounces) – ask your butcher to fillet   each breast in half, and pound the cutlets lightly to about a ½ inch thickness

1 cup                    all-purpose flour

2                            eggs

1½ cups               breadcrumbs

1 tsp                     dried oregano

½ cup                   freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

8 ounces             fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced in 8 rounds (or 2 cups of grated mozzarella)

Method:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the passata and basil and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and tastes sweet. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Set aside.
2. Prepare a breading station on your work surface. Place the flour in a large bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and whisk them well. In a third bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, oregano, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Set a clean plate beside the bowls to receive the chicken.
3. One piece at a time, press the chicken into the flour, coating it on both sides and shaking off any excess. Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess again, and then dredge it in the breadcrumbs, ensuring it is well coated but shaking off any excess. Set the breaded chicken on the plate. Repeat until all the chicken is breaded.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.
5. Heat the remaining 6 Tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the breaded chicken and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the baking tray. Cover each breast with a few spoonful’s of the tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp of the Parmigiano, and 2 pieces of mozzarella (or ½ cup grated mozzarella). Bake until the cheese is slightly golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.