A tasty alternative to chicken parmesan: Chicken petroniana

Chef Michael White makes his special version of chicken parmesan

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>>> this morning on today's kitchen, easy as 1-2-3, a dish for the whole family to enjoy. chicken parm is a classic, but we're putting a twist on it this morning with the help of chef michael white from here in new york city . michael, good morning. good to see you.

>> good to see you.

>> you're killing it. you are doing so well with your place.

>> we're doing well.

>> one of the reasons you do well is you take great dishes and add your own little twist to them. chicken parm , how do you do that?

>> this could be veal, chicken. we go into the store. you see a lot of breaded chicken cutlets and people put the cheese and tomato and do it quickly. i just want to take a second to show you pounding out the chicken breast , season it with salt. we go into flour. this is the traditional breading method. you put a little bit of flour, go into egg beaten with a little bit of water to loosen it up. and then not to touch raw egg. chefs don't worry.

>> but in the home kitchen you don't want to cross contaminate.

>> exactly. then go into the bread crumbs.

>> can you use panko?

>> this is panko buzzed to get it finer. let's toss it back and forth. this is something that can be done prior to service.

>> they can be room temperature?

>> exactly. let's go to the saute pan.

>> olive oil ?

>> yes. lots of times the olive oil gets burned and such. a little bit of whole butter will give it a toasted flavor. we're going to do that in this one that's going.

>> because you are going to put it under a broiler later you want to undercook it?

>> undercook it just a hair. it's great for a dinner party or a mother at home, a little bit beforehand. we'll toast it, put a pat of butter in it.

>> just a few minutes here, right?

>> it's quick. that's the great part about a chicken cutlet. and kids love them. they're flavorful.

>> fantastic. you're going to put a white sauce on it. most people think of a tomato sauce . what goes into it?

>> also, my name is michael white .

>> exactly. not lost on us here, michael.

>> mark should be laughing now.

>> he's not here. he went down stairs. [ laughter ]

>> wow. the last time i made a vortex here. we're going to make a bechamel. you can do lasagna, anything you want with it. this is warm milk.

>> why warm?

>> it won't ball up on you then. we'll mix it quick, bring it to a boil. add parmegiano. this is a cutlet. we'll put ham on this. this is prosciutto cotto. a little bit of ementhal.

>> you can use traditional swiss.

>> you bet. this goes under the broiler for a second. we're going to plate this. now spinach. kids don't like to eat spinach. saute it in butter. everybody loves it.

>> hide it under some chicken parm .

>> exactly. go right to the plate. a little bit of butter and sea salt . we'll plate this beautiful cutlet right on top and finish it with a little bit of the bechemel sauce.

>> it could beparmesan. we sell 45 of these a night. everybody talks about eating light. this is one of the best sellers .

>> what are you serving it with?

>> this is a side dish of salt cod . this is duck, rabbit and this is the inside of cheese with fig. these are little griddle cakes.

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 3/5/2012 3:32:08 PM ET

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Make a delicious dinner with chef Michael White's special version of chicken parmesan, chicken petroniana.

Recipe: Chicken petroniana (on this page)

Recipe: Chicken petroniana

Chef Michael White, Osteria Morini

Ingredients

Chicken
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), pounded until about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1 cup dried Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk, heated
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Spinach
2 tablespoons cold salted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To assemble
4 slices prosciutto cotto, or cooked ham
4 slices emmental cheese, or swiss cheese
1 10-ounce bag of baby spinach

Preparation

For the chicken: To properly bread the chicken, create an assembly line with three shallow dishes. Place the flour in the first shallow bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine. Place the eggs and water in the second bowl and beat until frothy. Add the bread crumbs to the third dish.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly coat both sides of each chicken cutlet with flour. Pat off any excess and then dip each cutlet in the egg wash to cover completely. Let the excess drip off before placing into the seasoned bread crumbs. Place each cutlet back into the egg wash and then again cover with a second coat of bread crumbs. The double breading ensures a very crisp crust. When the oil is hot, place each cutlet in the pan and be careful not to crowd. Cook about four minutes on each side until golden brown. Only flip once. When the chicken is cooked through, remove and drain on paper towel lined plates. Set aside.

For the sauce: In a small sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mound cooks and bubbles. Do not let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg to taste. Lower the heat and stir. Allow to cook, stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Excess sauce can be held in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place in a saucepan and allow to re-melt over medium heat.

For the spinach: In a heavy bottom pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter starts to foam. Saute until spinach is wilted. Season, if desired and set aside.

For the assembly: Preheat oven to broil. Place the breaded chicken cutlets on aluminum foil covered baking trays. Place one piece of prosciutto cotto on top of each cutlet. Cover with a slice of emmental cheese. Broil the chicken for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and place each piece of chicken on a serving plate. Cover with about 1/3 cup of sauce. Serve with buttered spinach immediately.