Friday, May 20, 2011

Chicken Parmesan

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be Italian. I realize I have been posting heavily on the Italian side lately. I will try to diversify, but what can I say? I'm pregnant.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 T
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 (28-ounce) cans Italian whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with juices
1/4 t sugar
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T water
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella water drained and sliced into 8 pieces
1/2 cup Finely grated Parmesan

Method
Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large heavy sauce pan and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the tomatoes, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes, season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts on a cutting board, butterfly them open, and pound them a little in between sheets of plastic wrap. Put the flour in a shallow platter. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, mix with Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and cook in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and crispy, turning once. ( If anything starts to burn, I like to wipe out the pan and start with fresh oil for the next batch)

Ladle the tomato sauce over the chicken and place a slice of mozzarella on each piece. Bake the Chicken for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot over pasta.

1 comment:

Christy Dyer said...

Can we come to your home to eat!