Chicken Parmigiana (Pollo alla Parmigiana)
One of the most popular Italian dishes in America, Chicken Parmigiana is a variation of the classic southern Italian dish, Eggplant Parmigiana. Although the term "parmigiana" comes from the northern Italian city of Parma, Eggplant Parmigiana originated in southern Italy. Some say Campania, other Sicily.
What I find interesting is how most Americans, including myself, have thought the dish was named for Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, one of the ingredients often used in preparing it. If you do a search for Chicken Parmesan you will find dozens of variations, some using Parmesan, some Pecorino, other Mozzarella. One of my favorite chefs, Ricco DeLuca taught me to use Munster cheese and it is my favorite version.
Another theory about how Parmigiana got its name is described by Anna Pomar in her book La Cucina Tradizionale Siciliana. She says Parmigiana "is the Italianization of the Sicilian dialectal word "parmiciana", which refers to the slats of wood which compose the central part of a shutter and overlap in the same manner as the slices of eggplant in the dish."
No matter where it obtained its name, this version of Chicken Parmigiana from Chef Dawn Thomas of Rouxbe.com is great and if you want to watch how she makes it, you can see the preview below and watch the entire lesson at the web site she co-founded.
Chicken Parmigiana
Ingredients
4 single chicken breasts (or 2 whole chicken breasts cut in half)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 cups tomato sauce
vegetable or grapeseed oil
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
How to Make Chicken Parmigiana at Home
Prep the Chicken
You want to prep the chicken so all the pieces are the same size. To accomplish this, slice each breast in half on an angle. You will have a thin end and a thicken end. Butterfly the thicker half. Using the flat side of a mallet, gently pound each piece just until it’s about 1/3" - inch thick and set aside.
Prep the Breadcrumbs & Coat the Chicken
Grate the Parmesan cheese. Mix the cheese and the Italian breadcrumbs together. Place half of the breadcrumb mixture into a shallow bowl. It’s best to use the breadcrumbs in stages, as you may not need them all. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until evenly blended. Place the flour into a third shallow bowl and set everything aside.
Before breading the chicken, preheat your oven to 375º degrees F.
To bread the chicken, generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Coat each piece with the flour and shake off any excess. Then dip into the egg mixture and then set into the breadcrumbs. Cover the chicken with the crumbs, pressing them into the chicken so they stick. Transfer to a baking tray.
Add more breadcrumbs, as needed. Once you’re finished breading all of the chicken, set it aside while you heat the tomato sauce.
Heat the Tomato Sauce
Pour the tomato sauce into a medium pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. By preheating the tomato sauce, this allows the dish to cook quickly in the oven, which prevents the chicken from being overcooked. Once it comes to a simmer, turn off the heat and set aside while you fry the chicken.
Shallow Fry the Chicken Breasts
In a large, nonstick fry pan add 1/8 inch of oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Test the oil by adding a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles. If the breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden, the oil is ready.
Place the pieces of chicken into the pan facing away from you in case the oil splatters. Once the underside is nice and golden, gently turn over. Continue to cook until golden on the other side. This should only take about two minutes per side. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through, as it will finish baking in the oven later.
Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack that is resting over a baking tray. Cook the second batch, making sure that the oil is still hot enough and that the chicken sizzles nicely. Once all of the chicken is fried, you can begin assembling.
Assemble the Dish & Bake
Cover the base of a large baking dish (9" x 11" - inches) with about 2 to 3 cups of the tomato sauce. The layer of sauce should be about ½" - inch high.
Place the pieces of chicken into the sauce, shuffling them around a bit if needed to lay somewhat flat. Next, spoon a couple of tablespoons of the sauce onto each piece, followed by a bit of grated cheese.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked and heated through. If desired, you can turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking to slightly brown the cheese.
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Chicken Parmesan Cooking Video
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