Chicken Parmigiana

This is an easy weeknight meal that you can have ready to eat in 30 minutes!  In La Cucina tradizionale siciliana, Anna Pomar writes:  The name “parmigiana” does not derive from that of the cheese but is the Italianization of the Sicilian dialectal word “parmiciana”, which refers to the slats of wood which compose the central part of a shutter and overlap in the same manner as the slices of eggplant in the dish.”  Variations of Parmigiana have developed worldwide, most often in countries where large numbers of Italians immigrated, include dishes such as veal parmigiana and chicken breast parmigiana.  

If you enjoy this dish then you might also like to try Jamie Oliver’s version of Chicken Parmigana.

Serves 4
recipe from Good Taste magazine
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40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
210g (3 cups) fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old bread
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 chicken breasts (about 500g) halved horizontally
1/2 small eggplant, cut into 4 slices lengthways
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
40g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated cheddar
mixed salad leaves, to serve

Place the flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates.  Season flour with salt and pepper.  Whisk egg, milk and garlic in a shallow bowl.  Dip chicken in flour and shake off excess.  Dip in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs to coat.  Transfer to a plate.  Brush the eggplant with 2 tablespoons of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and cook eggplant for 2 minutes each side or until golden.  Transfer to a plate.  Heat remaining oil in pan and cook chicken for 3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through.  Transfer to a baking tray.

Preheat grill on high.  Top chicken with eggplant, tomato, basil and cheddar.  Cook under grill for 5 minutes or until cheddar melts.  Serve with salad.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  I used fine dried bread crumbs and topped the chicken with a delicious 3 year aged raw milk cheddar.  Adjust cooking times depending on thickness of chicken.  The flavors coming from all the ingredients stood out with each bite.  A lovely and fresh spin on a traditional dish from Southern Italy.  Enjoy!