Chicken Parmesan
For the tomato sauce:
1 onion (red or yellow is fine)
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup fresh herbs picked from the stems, like parsley, basil, and oregano
1/4 cup olive oil Kosher salt, to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup warm water
1 28-ounce can of your favorite canned tomatoes, crushed, diced or whole peeled tomatoes are great Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the chicken:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 cups panko breadcrumbs
3 eggs
Kosher salt, to taste
(about 1-2 teaspoons) Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
(about 1 teaspoon) 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
(about 2 thighs or 1 breast per person)
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup neutral oil, for frying
To assemble and bake:
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick, slices placed on a paper towel-lined plate
Instructions:
Cook the tomato sauce:
- Finely dice the onion
- Smash and finely chop the garlic.
- Roughly chop the picked herbs and set them aside.
- Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium-to-medium high heat. Add the diced onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and the chili flakes, cooking just until both are fragrant. Add the tomato paste, stirring until it melts and coats everything in the pan. It may start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with water and cook, stirring frequently, until the food on the pan loosens. Add canned tomato and another pinch of salt and some black pepper. Stir until everything is combined and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens and becomes delicious. Stir in the herbs in the last few minutes of cooking and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bread and fry the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Put flour, panko, and eggs each in its own rimmed shallow dish. Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon of each, in both the flour and the breadcrumbs. Add the shredded parmesan to the breadcrumbs and mix again. Use a fork or whisk to whip the eggs until they are smooth.
- Sprinkle the chicken with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides. Place each piece of chicken between a couple layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken pieces into 1/4 - 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
- Dip each flattened piece of chicken first into the flour, then the eggs, then the panko, gently pressing the breadcrumbs on the surface so they stick.
- Heat 1 cup of neutral oil, in a wide, heavy pot or pan over medium high heat until the oil reaches about 350 degrees F. You will want to have about 1/2 inch or so of oil in the pan. Gently place the chicken in the pan, making sure the pieces don’t overlap, and cook until golden brown and crispy. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until it, too, is golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fried chicken pieces to a baking pan, something like a 9x13 inch Pyrex baking dish or a parchment lined baking tray.
- Top each piece of chicken with about 1/4-1/2 cup of tomato sauce, a couple tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese, and a couple slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Bake the chicken until the cheese on top is melty and starting to brown and bubble, about 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked by this time, but to double check the chicken should reach 155 degrees F internal temperature.
- Serve chicken parmesan warm with your favorite pasta or salad
Recipe provided by the Pantry Seattle.