Chef notes
When Brian and I started dating, chicken Parm was literally all he would order at a restaurant. He's since expanded his palette but it's still one of our favorite "big" dinners at home. Chef Kenny DeFazio at our favorite restaurant outside of Boston called Trattoria della Nonna in Mansfield, MA told us one of his secrets is using saltines in the breading. It's so flavorful and adds just the right amount of saltiness, I can't make cutlets any other way!
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken breasts, pounded uniformly
- 1 sleeve saltines
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
- 1 cup flour
- 4-6 slices deli mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella)
- 1 jar tomato sauce
- olive oil
Preparation
1.Once chicken is pounded so it's a uniform thickness, season all over with salt and pepper.
2.In a food processor, add saltines, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pulse until it's the texture of breadcrumbs (you call also pound all of this in a plastic bag).
3.In large flat bowls or plates, fill one with flour (seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper), one with the beaten eggs and one with the saltine mixture.
4.Keeping one hand as your "dry" hand and one hand as your "wet" hand, dredge each chicken breast into flour (tap off excess), then into the egg, then into the saltine mixture. Place on a plate and continue with the rest of the chicken.
5.In a large pan over medium low heat, heat several glugs of olive oil. Once the oil sizzles after you throw a crumb into the pan, cook the chicken on each side until golden. If they're thin, it shouldn't take longer than 3-4 minutes a side.
6.Place on a rack and continue cooking the rest of the chicken, adding more glugs of olive oil as needed. Don't be afraid of using lots of oil!
7.Once chicken is done, top each one with mozzarella cheese and broil until bubbly. Top with warmed sauce.
