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Spiessbraten means “spit-roasted” in German. The recipe originated in Rheinland-Pfalz, in southwest Germany, and was created by local gemstone prospectors who adapted the gaucho tradition of roasting meats over wood that they had learned while in South America. If you like smoky pork, I urge you to try this delicious dish. Serve with sweet mustard, dill pickles, and potato salad.

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

8 pounds             boneless pork butt, butterflied open
6                            garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp                  ground juniper berries
to taste                Salt and pepper
3                            Spanish onions, thinly sliced (divided)
3 cups                  wood chips

1. Season the pork butt with the garlic and juniper, and salt and pepper. Layer half the onions in the bottom of a nonreactive pan, place the pork on top, and cover with the remaining onions, ensuring the pork is completely covered. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, transfer the pork from the pan to a cutting board, leaving the top layer of onions on the meat. Roll up the shoulder like a pinwheel, enclosing the onions within the meat, then tie up the roast.
3. Fill a smoker with wood chips. Preheat the smoker to 250°F. If you don’t have a smoker, you can use a charcoal barbecue for this dish. Arrange the charcoal on one side of the grill and preheat the barbecue to 250°F. Soak 3 cups of wood chips in cold water for 30 minutes, then scatter them on the hot coals to create the smoke. Close the lid of the barbecue and adjust the air vents so the temperature inside remains around 250°F.
4. Place the pork roast either in the smoker, or on the “cool” side of the charcoal grill, and smoke for 5-6 hours, adding more wood chips every couple of hours and checking the temperature and the smoke periodically. (The pork will become too dark and bitter if the heat is too high). Make sure you have enough charcoal to get you through the 6 hours. To do this, you can heat up more charcoal in your starter chimney before adding it to the kettle. Cook the pork until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 160°F.
5. Remove the roast from the smoker/charcoal BBQ and wrap it first in aluminum foil and then in a towel so it retains its moisture as it cools.
6. Once the roast reaches room temperature, unwrap and slice thinly. Arrange slices on individual plates and serve.

Traditionally this dish is made with a rooster, an older animal in need of a long bath in a hot stock, but I use regular chicken legs. They turn out tender and supple when stewed.

Recipe abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup                   all-purpose flour

To taste               salt and pepper

4                            chicken legs

4 Tbsp                  butter (divided) + 1 Tbsp butter, cold, cubed

1 pound               button mushrooms, cleaned with a brush or towel (don’t wash them)

1 cup                    pearl onions

¼ pound              slab bacon, cut in medium dice

2 Tbsp                  brandy

1                            herb bundle made of 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme branches, 2 bay leaves

3 cups                  red wine

1 Tbsp                  minced Italian parsley

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over medium heat.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Dredge the chicken legs in the seasoned flour, and shake gently to remove any excess. Set aside.
3. Melt 3 Tbsp of the butter in the pot, then add the chicken legs and brown both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the onions. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a paring knife, cut the root ends off the pearl onions. Plunge the onions into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in the ice bath. When cool, drain the onions, and slip them out of their skins.
5. Once the chicken is browned, turn the heat under the heavy bottomed oven proof pot down to medium low. Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in the pot (no need to wipe it out first) and add the mushrooms, stirring to release their moisture and help pick up any bits of browned chicken stuck to the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking, stirring once in a while, until the mushrooms are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Once the mushrooms have browned, transfer them to the plate with the chicken and place the bacon and pearl onions in the pot. Turn the heat back up to a medium and sweat until they are just starting to get golden, about 8 minutes. Deglaze with the brandy, then return the chicken and mushrooms to the pot. Add the herb sachet and then the wine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven to braise for 1 hour, or until the chicken falls away from the bone.
7. Transfer the chicken legs to a serving platter, leaving everything else in the pot. Discard the herb sachet, place the pot over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn the heat off and add the 1 Tbsp cold butter and parsley, stirring continuously until the sauce is emulsified.
8. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken legs and divide among individual plates.

Sometimes, when there is a chill in the air, nothing warms your bones like a slow-cooked piece of beef. Adapted from Cooking Meat, this pot roast recipe is a braise, and it works well with any tough cut of beef.

Simple Beef Pot Roast

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 (4 pounds)                      blade roast, trimmed and tied
to taste                               Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp                                 vegetable oil
4 slices                                bacon, medium diced
1                                           large onion, chopped
4                                           garlic cloves, chopped
2                                           medium carrots, chopped
2                                           celery stalks, chopped
1 cup                                   chopped rutabaga,
1 Tbsp                                 tomato paste
1 cup                                   red wine
1 herb bundle                   (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs, 3 bay leaves, tied together)
3 cups                                 Beef Stock
2 Tbsp                                 cornstarch
2 Tbsp                                 cold water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper, then rub it with the oil. Place the beef in roasting pan on an elevated rack and roast until golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
3. While the beef is browning, place the bacon and onions in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat, stir well, cover the pot, and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and rutabaga, stir, and cover again, sweating all of the vegetables until fragrant and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, then deglaze the pot with the wine.
4. Add the herb bundle to the pot and season the contents of the pot with salt and pepper. Add the browned beef and turn down the oven to 300°F.
5. Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, ladling off and discarding any scum as it rises to the surface. Once it’s simmering, cover the pot and place in the oven for 1 hour.
6. Lift the lid, turn the beef over, and return to the oven until fork-tender, about 1½ hours. Carefully transfer the meat to cutting board and tent it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Discard the herb bundle.
7. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the braising liquid, whisking to incorporate, and simmer until thickened. If the sauce seems too thin, make a little more slurry and add it in the same way.
9. To serve, slice the beef and arrange it on a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the sauce and pour the rest into a gravy boat to serve alongside.

Adapted from my book, Cooking Meat, this recipe for a North African tagine of lamb will warm your kitchen and bellies on these cooler nights.

A tagine is a cone-shaped cooking vessel traditionally used in Moroccan cooking. You don’t need a tagine to make this dish—a Dutch oven will do the trick—but the flavor of the broth will be more intense if you do. Tagines are traditionally made from ceramic or unglazed clay and placed directly over a fire, so if you’re using one, cook directly over a gas flame or on a charcoal grill. (The tagine could crack if placed on a heated electric or ceramic-topped element, but to prevent this you can use a heat diffuser, which are widely available online). Serve with steamed couscous and plenty of flatbread to mop up the delicious juices at the bottom of the pot.

Serves 2

1½ tsp harissa paste

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 tsp salt (divided)

2 lamb shanks, about 12 oz each

1½ tsp pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp smoked or regular paprika

2 shallots, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small carrot, quartered lengthwise, and cut in 2-inch lengths

1 medium potato, peeled and cut in ½-inch wedges

1 celery stalk, cut in 2-inch lengths

¼ bulb fennel, cut in ½-inch wedges

10 black olives, pitted or whole

6 dried apricots

1 preserved lemon, peel only

3 bay leaves (dried are fine)

2½–3 cups Chicken Stock

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the harissa, oil, and 1½ tsp of the salt to form a paste. Using your hands, rub the paste all over the shanks, cover, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
2. If you don’t have a gas stove, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1½ tsp salt, the pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and paprika.
3. Line the base of your tagine or Dutch oven with the shallots. Sprinkle the garlic over the top, and then place the lamb shanks on top of the shallots, crossing one on top of the other. Sprinkle half of the spice mix over the meat and shallots.
4. Arrange the vegetables over the lamb in a pyramid. Sprinkle the vegetables with the rest of the spice mix.
5. Scatter the olives, apricots, preserved lemon skin, and bay leaves around the vegetables. Pour 2½ cups of the stock into the base of the tagine or Dutch oven (don’t pour it over the vegetables and meat).
6. To cook on a gas stovetop, cover the tagine (or Dutch oven) and place over very low heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. (If you’re using the oven, cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a simmer over medium heat, then transfer to the oven until the meat is tender, about 2 hours) After 2 hours, check the tagine. If the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency, add another ½ cup of stock and cook until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.
7. Remove the tagine from the heat and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Bring the dish to the table and remove the lid in front of your guests for a “wow” effect.

This wet-roast method of roasting whole birds works particularly well with game birds, as the liquid braises the legs while the breasts get browned by the dry heat. It also produces a particularly tasty sauce: a pool of butter-enriched red wine that the chicken swims lazily in.

Red Wine Roasted Chicken
abridged from Cooking Meat

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1                            whole chicken, trussed (about 3½ pounds) 
to taste                Salt and pepper
1                            small lemon
2 Tbsp                  vegetable oil
4 Tbsp                  butter, cold, cubed (divided)
1                            small onion, diced
4                            garlic cloves, minced
1                            carrot, diced
1                            celery stalk, diced
4                            thyme sprigs
2                            dried bay leaves
1                            cup dry red wine
1 cup                    Chicken Stock

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Using your hand and a bit of pressure, roll the lemon on your work surface to “loosen” the juice by breaking up the pulp. Using a toothpick or a fork, poke a few holes in the lemon and place in the cavity of the chicken.
3. Run the bird with the oil. Place the chicken on a roasting rack and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350°F.
4. While the bird is in the oven, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium-low heat in an ovenproof pot large enough to hold the bird. Add the onions, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic and sweat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the carrots and celery and turn up the heat to medium, stirring constantly until the vegetables have softened. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the thyme and bay leaves, then deglaze the pot with the wine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Transfer the chicken to the pot, along with any cooking juices from the roasting pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer again, then place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and roast for about 1 hour. The chicken is cooked when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, still uncovered, for 20 minutes.
7. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the roasting juices into a saucepan (discard the solids) and bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the sauce by one-quarter, about 5 minutes, and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
8. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Gradually add the remaining cold butter, whisking constantly to emulsify the sauce. Do not let the sauce come to a boil after adding the butter or it will split. Once the butter is incorporated, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
9. To serve, carve the chicken. Arrange the meat on a deep platter and pour half the sauce over the chicken. Pour the remaining sauce into a gravy boat and serve on the side.

One of our many kitchen offerings is red wine demi-glace, which is heavily reduced veal stock flavoured with red wine.  It is great to use in a pan sauce, and now I want to give you two options for how to best use it with a steak (maybe a striploin that’s on sale this weekend?). These recipes are to be made in a pan which a steak had just been cooked (which will have all the delicious bits of beef remnants (aka “fond” from the steak), and are meant for approximately 2 steaks.

Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp                   unsalted butter
1 tbsp                   shallots, minced
2 branches          fresh thyme
2 tsp                     cracked black peppercorns
3 tbsp                   brandy
1 tbsp                   green peppercorns (optional)
3 tbsp                   demi-glace
1 tbsp                   35% cream
to taste                salt

Method:

1. Drain any excess fat from the pan you had just used to cook a steak.
2. Return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the shallots, thyme, and cracked pepper. Use a wooden spoon to stir well for a couple of minutes, picking up any bits of the fond as you stir.
3. When the shallots are translucent, add the brandy. Reduce by half.
4. Add the green peppercorns (if using) and the demi-glace. Reduce by a quarter.
5. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, then take off the heat. Remove the thyme branch, taste for seasoning, and serve, poured over your recently cooked steak.

Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups                  red wine (preferably something juicy that you would drink yourself, but also cheap and cheerful)
½ cup                   port wine
1 tbsp                   unsalted butter
1 tbsp                   shallots, minced
2 branches          fresh thyme
1                            bay leaf (dry or fresh)
4 tbsp                   demi-glace

Method

1. Pour the red wine and port into a small sauce pot, then place over medium high heat. Reduce the wine until a quarter cup remains.
2. While the wine is reducing, drain any excess fat from the pan you had just used to cook a steak.
3. Return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the shallots, thyme, and bay leaf. Use a wooden spoon to stir well for a couple of minutes, picking up any bits of the fond as you stir.
4. When the shallots are translucent, add the wine reduction and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the demi-glace and reduce by a quarter and the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove the thyme and bay leaf and serve alongside your steak. If you want a totally smooth sauce, strain the shallots out as well using a fine mesh strainer.

Not sure which recipe to use to roast your turkey this weekend? Never fear, here is your hit turkey recipe! Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and your favourite holiday side dishes.

Roast Turkey with Stuffing

recipe abridged from Cooking Meat by Peter Sanagan

Note: If you don’t have a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey, ask us for a brine kit, which already comes with the brine ingredients. Be sure to start this recipe the day before the celebration.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

Roast Turkey

3 quarts water
1 cup salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 garlic cloves
8 thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
1 quart ice cubes
1 (15 pounds) turkey
Vegetable oil for drizzling

Compound Butter

2 cups unsalted butter
1 bunch sage, leaves picked and chopped
1 bunch thyme, leaves picked and chopped
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 Tbsp ground allspice
Salt and pepper
½ cup Madeira or port

Stuffing

1 cup butter
2 large onions, cut in small dice
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves
Giblets from the turkey, finely chopped
Liver from the turkey, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 bunch sage, leaves picked and sliced
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
Salt and pepper
½ cup Madeira or port (optional)
1–2 cups turkey or chicken stock
4 cups 1-inch cubes of stale bread (cube it the day before and leave it to dry out)

Gravy

2 cups white wine (divided)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cooking fat (from the turkey)
1 turkey neck (from the bird), roughly chopped into smaller chunks
2 shallots, finely diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 thyme sprigs
4 sage sprigs
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
3 cups dark turkey or chicken stock

Method

1. In a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey, bring the water to a boil with the salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. When the salt and sugar are dissolved, turn off the heat and add the ice. Allow the brine to cool until you can stick your finger into it, pain-free.
2. Remove the giblets, liver, and neck from the turkey (usually these are in the neck cavity). Set them in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Place the turkey in the stockpot with the brine (or place it in the brining bag, add the brine, and then place it in a bowl). Refrigerate for at least 15 hours (allow 1 hour per pound).
3. To make the compound butter, cut the butter into slices and arrange them on a plate at room temperature to soften. In a small bowl, mix together the sage, thyme, chives, allspice, salt and pepper to taste, and Madeira. When the butter is soft, add it to the herb mixture and, using a spatula, fold them all together. Shape the butter into a rectangle on a layer of plastic wrap, roll up, and refrigerate overnight.
4. On the day of the celebration, remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine and set the turkey aside at room temperature while you make the stuffing.
5. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and bay leaves, cover, and, stirring frequently, sweat until the onions start to change color slightly, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the giblets and liver, cook for another 5 minutes, and then add the celery, carrots, sage, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium and sauté, stirring frequently, until the celery starts to take on a bit of color.
6. Add the Madeira (or port), if using, and reduce by half. Add 1½ cups of the stock and bring to a simmer. Place the diced bread in a medium bowl and pour the stock mixture over top. Mix thoroughly. If you find the mixture too dry, add a little more stock, ¼ cup at a time, until the stuffing is moist. Add some salt and pepper if required. Set aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have a roasting pan with an elevated roasting rack ready.
8. To prepare the turkey, lift the skin at the front of each breast and use your fingers to make a pocket between the skin and the breast meat. Cut the compound butter into ½-inch slices and slide the slices under the skin so they cover the breast. Stuff the cavity of the bird with the bread stuffing. Place the turkey on the roasting rack. Season the bird with salt and pepper and drizzle enough oil over it to cover the skin.
9. Place the pan on the center rack in the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes or so with the pan juices, until a thermometer plunged into the thigh of the turkey reads 180°F and the breast or stuffing reads 165°F, 4½–5 hours. Remove from the oven and transfer the turkey to a cutting board. Wrap the turkey in aluminum foil and then a towel to keep warm while it rests.
10. To make the gravy, tilt the roasting pan slightly and skim the fat off the top of the drippings, reserving 2 Tbsp. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-low heat and add 1 cup of the wine. As it simmers, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift up all of the bits of caramelized roasting juices. Turn off the heat and set aside.
11. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the reserved fat. Add the turkey neck, cook until brown, add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until golden. Add the flour and stir vigorously to make an aromatic roux. Add the thyme, sage, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste, and then deglaze the pot with the remaining 1 cup wine. Turn down the heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes to cook the alcohol from the sauce. Add the stock, whisking to incorporate, and then add all the drippings from the turkey pan, mixing well to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors. Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a gravy boat.
12. Use a spoon to remove the stuffing from the cavity and place some in a bowl and some on the turkey serving platter. Carve the turkey, and present on a platter with the stuffing and gravy to your hungry (and happy) guests.

To “confit” meat refers to a technique where a fatty cut of meat (duck is very popular) is slowly cooked in its own fat. The process renders the meat very tender and flavourful, and the skin can be roasted until crispy, creating an amazing mouthfeel.

I learned this technique from a popular food blog – RecipeTin Eats – and I have to say it yields the most consistent crackling I’ve ever had. You can easily change the dry rub to suit your tastes, but stick close to the method, as it will work every time. Note: for best results you’ll need to dry the skin of the pork in your fridge for at least 8 hours; preferably overnight.

Confit Pork Belly

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs                      pork belly with skin on, skin not scored
1.5 tsp                  olive oil, divided
2 tsp                     Sanagan’s Porchetta Rub (alternatively use 1.5 tsp salt & 0.5 tsp pepper)
½ tsp                    salt

Method

1. Place the pork belly on a plate, skin side up. Dry the skin with a paper towel, then allow to rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 285°F.
3. Drizzle the meat side of the belly (not the skin) with 1 tsp of olive oil, rubbing it in. Sprinkle the porchetta seasoning all over the meat (not the skin), rubbing it in well.
4. Place 2 pieces of aluminum foil on your work surface. Each piece should be about 12” x 12”. Place the belly in the center of the foil. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, leaving the skin exposed (the “package” should resemble an open box. Pinch the corners of the foil to seal tightly, then place the meat on a baking tray.
5. Pat skin dry, then rub with the remaining tsp of olive oil. Season with ½ tsp salt, evenly sprinkling over entire skin from edge to edge.
6. Place in the oven and roast for 2.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, remove and tighten the foil (pork will have shrunk), and continue cooking.
7. Remove pork from oven, then increase temperature to 465°F.
8. Remove pork from foil and place on a rack set over a baking tray (this allows full air circulation). Use small scrunched up balls of aluminum foil positioned underneath the belly, propping the meat up to make the skin as level and horizontal as possible. This is key for a uniform crackling.
9. Place tray back in oven and roast at the higher heat for 30 minutes, or until the skin is uniformly crackling and crispy.
10. Take the pork out of the oven and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Use a serrated (bread) knife to cut through the crackling.

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.