MAIN
Chicken Parmigiana
A crumbed chicken schnitzel covered with tomato, ham if that's your persuasion, and enough melted cheese to justify the exercise. Buy the schnitzel for an easy dinner or build the whole ridiculous pub version.
BASIC
Start with ready-crumbed chicken, add passata, ham if you want it and whatever sensible melting cheese is in the fridge. Parmi achieved.
Method
Cook the schnitzels
Cook the schnitzels until the crumb is properly golden and the chicken is cooked through. Fry them, bake them or follow the instructions they came with. If you're checking with a thermometer, the thickest part of the chicken should reach at least 74°C (165°F).
Get the grill hot
Heat the oven grill as hot as it will reasonably go. Put the cooked schnitzels on a baking tray.
Season the passata
Taste the passata and add a little salt, black pepper and dried oregano if using. It doesn't need to become a project.
Don't drown the crumb
Spoon a modest layer of passata over the middle of each schnitzel, leaving some crumb exposed around the edges.
The sauce is wet and the schnitzel is crunchy. Covering every square centimetre of crumb is a fairly efficient way of undoing the thing you just cooked.Add ham and cheese
Add the ham if using, then cover with the cheese.
Grill
Put the tray under the hot grill until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling and starting to brown in spots. This should only take a few minutes, so don't wander off.
Eat it immediately
Serve while the cheese is hot and the exposed crumb still has some crunch.
UPGRADE
Start with the buttermilk supercrumb schnitzel, make a thick slow-cooked Napoli sauce and finish it with a deliberately excessive combination of good melting cheese.
Method
Start the Napoli
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 8–10 minutes until soft and starting to sweeten.
Add the garlic
Add the chopped garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add the tomatoes
Add the tinned tomatoes and oregano. Break the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon or crush them with your hands before they go in if that brings you joy.
Give it some time
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and leave it uncovered for about 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should become noticeably thicker, darker and sweeter as the excess water cooks away.
SimmerKeep the liquid gently bubbling. It should be active, but not rolling and splashing like a full boil.Cooking words →Make it parmy-thick
Keep reducing until the sauce is thick enough that a spoonful mostly stays where you put it rather than immediately spreading into a tomato puddle.
ReduceCook a liquid so some of its water evaporates, leaving less liquid with a stronger flavour and usually a thicker texture.Cooking words →This is deliberately thicker than a normal pasta sauce. Water is the enemy of the supercrisp schnitzel you just went to all that trouble to make.Finish the sauce
Stir through the fresh basil if using and the confit garlic if you happened to have some. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper.
Cook the schnitzels
Make and cook the Buttermilk Supercrumb Schnitzels according to the Chicken Schnitzel recipe. Once they're deeply golden and cooked through, move them to a baking tray.
Get the grill properly hot
Heat the oven grill as hot as it will reasonably go. The aim is to melt and brown the cheese quickly rather than leaving the schnitzel sitting under gentle heat getting soggy.
Sauce with restraint
Spoon the Napoli sauce over the centre of each schnitzel, leaving a decent border of exposed supercrumb around the outside.
Build the cheese layer
Add the ham or prosciutto if using. Sprinkle over the Parmigiano Reggiano, then add the mozzarella and provolone or cheddar.
Grill hard and fast
Put the parmies under the hot grill until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling and properly browned in spots. Keep an eye on them — this is a matter of minutes, not another cooking session.
Finish and serve
Add a few fresh basil leaves if using and serve immediately while you've still got molten cheese on top and crunchy chicken underneath.
EAT ME WITH