"La scoperta di un piatto nuovo è più preziosa per il genere umano che la scoperta di una nuova stella." ~Brillat- Savarin (The discovery of a new dish is more precious to human beings than the discovery of a new star.)chicken parm. what a dish- my stepfather, Tony is all to credit for this most incredible dish- which also just so happens to be my sweetie Jon's favorite dish I make. Thus far that is ;) I actually make this dish as a Christmas/birthday present for him most years....though last week I was inspired to get in the kitchen and rock this recipe out.
so here we go- are you ready? pump up the jams (maybe some good jazz), pour yourself a big glass of cab sav, and roll up your sleeves. Its. time. to. rock.
What will you need for this endeavor you might ask? Here is the list of ingredients:
Well, basically all that is pictured here (can you tell I went to Costco- I mean look at the bottle of sauce!). I seriously recommend for those thrifty cookers out there to invest some time in grocery shopping- going to wholesale clubs like Costco or a restaurant supply store (those in Seattle- I recommend Cash N Carry!)- you can save some big bucks by buying in bulk!ok- that's more a story for another time....back to the chicken parm. you will need:
-Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-fresh mozzarella or parmesean cheese (Parm has a stronger, sharper taste to it, so I often use mozzerela as it does not overpower the rest of the ingredients- i know, i know- then it isnt really chicken "parm" you say. *shrugs shoulders*)Also, buying a brick of cheese and shredding it yourself is nearly ALWAYS a better idea- its cheaper and I think enhances the cooking process
-a couple eggs, scrambled. you will need about 1 egg per breast
-a bowlful/deep plate full of flour
-italian seasoned breadcrumbs which you can dress up with more parm cheese, garlic salt, ect ect
-your trusty bottle of extra virgin olive oil
-clove of finely minced garlic (not pictured- woops!)
before we begin- set your oven to 350- look! your are on your way already! haha- ok now we have lots of prep to do. we are going to begin by setting out our flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into a kind of assembly machine. why these ingredients? well we will need to coat the chicken in breadcrumbs which will require the egg to help it stick. but have you really tried putting egg onto raw chicken? its like sticking water to water. well, maybe not that extreme- BUT we coat the chicken first in the flour to help the egg stick even better. so lay out three bowls/deep dished plates and set each ingredient into a different bowl like this:
coolies. now we need to get the chicken ready. since they are in breast form and a bit to thick to cook up quickly, we are going to use the meat tenderizer on them.
dont have one? I have used a soup can in a tiny kitchen of a dorm hall kitchen to make this work- resourcefulness is key. place the chicken into a giant zip log bag, and place on top of a kitchen towel layered by a cutting board (the towel will help absorb some of the shock of hitting the chicken and make it less violent sounding...) pound away!cool. now pound that chicken until it is about half an inch thick like this:
well...the one on the right anyway.ok! now we are ready to get cooking! we can start getting the frying pan ready and warm- throw in a slash of olive oil and some garlic and get the oil warm. In the meantime, dip the chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs making sure to cover all areas of the chicken. place the chicken into the frying pan and begin cooking until one side becomes golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook so the chicken is evenly brown on the outside and check the middle to make sure there is nothing pink left inside.
ok....now that you have your chicken done we have a few finishing details to go. line a 9x13 pan with a thin layer of marina/spaghetti sauce and begin placing your chicken on it. Now add a little sauce on top of each chicken and then sprinkle on some cheese.
Once you have each cutlet covered, place on another layer of cheese and stick into the oven until the cheese is melted and oh so bubbly. then you know its time for deliciousness. Place over some pasta (Jon and I prefer angel pasta) and serve with a side of sauce. Enjoy!
love and peace,
~r
