Chicken Parmesan
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 servings
- Total: 1 hr 25 min
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 pieces broccolini
2 pounds spaghetti
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
Six 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup grapeseed oil
12 slices aged (low-moisture) mozzarella
1 quart Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Tomato Sauce:
5 cups canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, plus liquid from the can
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 cups canned diced San Marzano tomatoes
Directions
Special equipment:
an immersion blender and meat mallet- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until just crisp-tender. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and reserve.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve.
- Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to high broil.
- Create a standard breading station in 3 separate 8-by-8-inch pans: Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper into the first pan. Whisk together the eggs and the milk in the second pan. Place the breadcrumbs in the third pan.
- Trim any fat from the edges of the chicken breast and place each breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, pound out each breast until it is an even 1/4 inch thick.
- Dredge each breasts using the standard breading: First in the flour, then in the egg wash and finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat the entire breast.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke and then reduce the heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and gently place 2 breasts in the pan. Cook the chicken on the first side until the breading is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Gently turn the breasts over and cook until the breading is golden brown on the other side, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a pan lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, changing the oil between each batch.
- Place the chicken breasts on rimmed baking sheets. Top each breast with 3 pieces of the broccolini and 2 slices of the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- For plating: Bring the Tomato Sauce to a simmer in a large skillet. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta and sauce are hot.
- Divide the pasta and sauce among 6 plates, mounding it in the center of each plate. Place a finished chicken breast on top of each mound. Sprinkle each plate with 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley.
Tomato Sauce:
- Combine the whole tomatoes and their liquid, the olive oil, onion, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and 4 cloves garlic in a large bowl or 2-gallon container and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Heat a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium, add the grapeseed oil and remaining 4 cloves garlic and quickly saute. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pureed tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, remove from the heat. Bring back to a simmer when you are ready to plate. Yield: 6 servings