Crispy chicken parmigiana

This is one of the most delicious, hearty dinners, that just works. It’s simple, indulgent and perfect for family nights or hosting friends. The recipe is from cafedelites.com and the wonderful cook Karina, which I’ve copied below for you to try. I have adapted a couple of things from the original recipe. I also like to serve it with spaghetti, which I just cook in hot salty water as usual, and then stir through the remaining marinara sauce before serving.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

• Salt and pepper to season

• 3 large chicken breasts halved horizontally to make 6 fillets

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (Italian or golden)

• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/2 cup olive oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tin of finely chopped tomatoes, my favourite are Mutti

• 1 large onion chopped

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• A small handful of fresh basil roughly chopped

• 14 ounces (400 g) tomato puree (Passata)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

For the topping:

• 2 balls of mozzarella cheese, sliced

• 1/3 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese

• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley

Recipe

For The Chicken:

1. Whisk together eggs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add chicken into the egg, rotating to evenly coat each fillet in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes (or overnight night if time allows for a deeper flavour).

2. When chicken is ready for cooking, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder together in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat.

3. Preheat oven 430°F | 220°C. Lightly grease an oven tray (or baking dish) with non stick cooking oil spray; set aside.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Fry chicken until golden and crispy, (about 4-5 minutes each side). Before moving forward please ensure steps 7 & 8 are done.

5. Place chicken on prepared baking tray / dish and top each breast with about 1/3 cup of sauce (sauce recipe below). Top each chicken breast with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese and about 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil or parsley. 

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and melted, and the chicken is completely cooked through.

   For The Sauce (I do this whilst the chicken is marinating):

7. Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. Fry onion until transparent (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

8. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, Italian herbs, basil and sugar. Cover with lid to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.