Tuesday, July 30, 2013

How to Make Delicious Chicken Parmesan




Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
1-pound chicken cutlets or tenderloins trimmed of all fat
1-cup flour
1-egg plus 1-tablespoon water whisked together to make an egg wash
1-cup breadcrumbs, homemade preferred
Salt and pepper
¾ cup peanut oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ pound mozzarella cheese sliced
2 cups homemade Italian tomato sauce (Recipe on The Garlic Rose Blog)

Technique
1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  When it reaches 350 turn the broiler on.
2.      Gather and prepare all of the ingredients.  Place the flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs in three separate dishes.  Add a pinch of salt to each dish. 
3.     Lightly salt and pepper each piece of chicken.   Coat the chicken cutlets with a fine dusting of flour. Dip each one in the egg wash, letting any excess egg wash drain off.  Then coat them with the breadcrumbs. 
4.     Place the cutlets on a tray, preferably with a rack and set them aside for about five minutes to allow the coating to set. 
5.     Heat a large sauté pan, add about ¼” of peanut oil.  Fry the chicken cutlets, being careful not to crowd the pan until golden brown, .  Fry them in several batches if necessary.  Drain the cutlets on paper towels. 
6.     Put a layer of the homemade tomato in an ovenproof baking dish.  Put one layer of the fried chicken cutlets on top of the sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese over each piece of chicken. And a small dab of sauce over each piece of cheese – but don’t cover with sauce.
7.     Place in oven, under broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to turn a light golden brown

Italian Red Sauce



Ingredients:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions medium diced
2 tablespoons garlic finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 – 28 ounce cans whole peeled imported san marzano tomatoes
¼ cup fresh basil roughly chopped

Technique:

1.    Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
2.    Add olive oil and when it is barely hot and beginning to shimmer, add the onion and sauté until they are translucent and soft. 
3.    Add the finely chopped garlic stirring for just a minute.  
4.    Add the salt, pepper and thyme. 
5.    Add the canned tomatoes and crush them with a spoon or potato masher. 
6.    Simmer for about an hour, stirring frequently. 
7.    Roughly chop the basil and add it to the sauce.
8.    Simmer for an additional 10 – 15 minutes.
9.    Pass all of the sauce through a food mill, scraping the bottom occasionally.