Chicken Parmigiana

This American-Italian dish is widely popular here in Australia and it's the number one pub grub for many of us. But why don't more people make it at home? It can be a challenge to get it right. It's not ludicrously complicated, but it's difficult enough to deter most punters. So, here's an easy-to-follow, authentic recipe for everyone But first, a few tips...

While I don't place much faith in the freshness of supermarket herbs and spices, the Italian Mixed Herbs in a jar is actually a pretty good product--so it's handy to always have some in the pantry. Please do grate your own Parmigiano Reggiano (don't use pre-grated Parmesan from a jar, you deserve better than that). Finding Burrata cheese might be a bit of a challenge unless you have a large Coles or Woolworths near you. Otherwise, Harris Farm Markets always have it in stock. Failing that completely, you may use fresh mozzarella.

My own Tomato Sauce is ideal for this recipe if you like the big punchy flavour. But if you don't have any on hand (or want a more natural, fruity flavour), I've included the steps to make a sauce from bottled passata available from any supermarket.
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Ingredients

• Chicken:
• 4 small Chicken Breasts, or 2 large breasts, split
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tblspn Italian Mixed Herbs, dried
• The Sauce:
• 1 tblspn Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 small Onion, finely diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tspn Chilli Flakes
• 100ml White Wine, dry
• 400ml Tomato Passata, jar
• 1 tspn Italian Mixed Herbs, dried
• 100ml Chicken Stock
• Crumbing:
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Lemon
• 10 tblspn Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 1 tspn Oregeno, dried
• 1 tspn Onion Powder
• 1 tspn Garlic Powder
• 2 cups Plain Flour
• Cook:
• 2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 2 Burrata Cheese, room temperature
• Fresh Basil, handful

Method

1. Chicken:
2. Beat the chicken gently using a rolling pin and sheets of plastic wrap, until flattened to your desired thickness, season heavily with a course salt, pepper and Italian Mixed Herbs on both sides and let rest for 30 minutes, covered with more plastic wrap.
3. The Sauce:
4. While the chicken is resting, let's make the sauce. Heat the tablespoon of EVOO in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and saute, stirring until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the chilli flakes and white wine and reduce for a few more minutes.
5. Add the passata, Italian Mixed Herbs and Chicken Stock and reduce again, stirring continuously until thickened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
6. Crumbing:
7. Crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk before adding the juice of the lemon. In a separate deep dish, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, oregeno, onion powder and garlic powder. In a third dish, put the flour.
8. Dry the chicken completely with paper towel. Coat the chicken with flour, slightly dusting off any excess before coating it with the egg, making sure to cover both sides.
9. Let the excess egg drip off before coating it in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure to cover the chicken with the breadcrumb mixture completely. Set aside while you prepare to saute on the stovetop.
10. Cook:
11. Preheat your oven to 200degC. We'll use this after we saute.
12. Add the 2 cups of EVOO to a deep pan and heat to medium high. Lay your chicken flat in the oil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Work in batches, if your pan isn't big enough. Cook until golden and crispy. It's not important to properly cook the chicken throughout because the oven will take care of this in the next step.
13. Place the fried chicken on a baking tray covered with paper towel then add another sheet on top to help drain the excess oil. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes to crisp up too.
14. Remove the paper towel and add a scoop of tomato sauce on top of each chicken. Tear the burrata/mozzarella into pieces with your hands, cover the chicken. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
15. Sprinkle a handful of freshly chopped basil on top. Serve with chips/wedges and salad.
16. Note: If you're worried about turning your crispy parma into a soggy mess, just heat the sauce/cheese in a ramekin and serve it on the side.