Chicken Parmigiana

Who doesn't like such a classic Italian dish? Pretty much any place you go, be it a pizzeria, a diner, whatever. You'll always find Chicken Parmigiana on the menu.

You'd think it really wouldn't be that hard of a dish. breaded chicken, with sauce and cheese baked on top. Simple right? A surprising number of restaurants fail horribly to make this dish. I couldn't count the amount of bad chicken parms I've had over the years. This version is a bit different from your classic Italian style, but I was time pressed and had to quickly get it made. The subtle change makes a surprising difference.


(Ingredients)

Chicken Breasts
Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
Spaghetti Sauce
Breadcrumbs
Milk
Flour
Light Cooking Oil

Normally you would use egg when breading a chicken breast, but I was in a rush and didn't have time. I was really rushed. Take a bowl or a plate, and pour enough milk to cover the bottom of it (you need enough to dip the breast into completely), and put it aside. Do the same for a dish of flour,and a dish of breadcrumbs. Now take your breast, dip it in the milk. Make sure it is thoroughly coated, then coat it in the flour. Again, making sure it is nicely and evenly coated. Milk again, breadcrumbs, milk, and then flour (you may want to do the same process once more, but I personally did it only once). Pour a little oil into your 300 skillet, and set it in there. Cook it until it's golden brown on both sides. The coating will be very delicate, so be extremely careful when handling not to tear it off completely.

Something interesting I always liked about chicken parm. In certain restaurants they would give you two medium size pieces of chicken (under one blanket of cheese and sauce), instead of one big one. I always preferred the two piece compared to the one piece. So cut the chicken in half, put it together on a plate (not touching, but very close), and put as much sauce and cheese on as you like. Stick it in your microwave for about two minutes (just enough to melt the cheese fully), and you're set.

The interesting thing about this way to make it mostly lies in the coating. Without the thickness of the egg, the coating is very light and rich, but also extremely delicate. The chicken also is extremely moist. It reminds me of a piece of fried fish, how light the coating is, and how juicy and tender the chicken is.


Pic, as always, forthcoming!