Parmagiana Recipes

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and Italian herbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
• Add red pepper flakes and herbs, stir for 15 seconds. Add wine, turn up heat and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated and winey smell is gone.
• Add tomato, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Cover, then simmer 10 minutes on low until thickened. Cover and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
• Crumbing set up: Spread flour out in a shallow bowl. Whisk Egg Dredge in a separate shallow bowl. Mix Crumbing ingredients in a third shallow bowl or pan.
• Dredge & crumb: Press both sides of chicken into flour, then shake off excess. Coat in egg, letting excess drip off, then place in Crumbing, pressing to adhere.
• Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
• Line a tray with paper towels and place rack on tray.
• Heat 1.5 - 2cm / 2/3" oil in a skillet over medium high heat to 180°C/350°F (Note 9).
• Carefully place 2 or 3 pieces of chicken in. Cook 2 minutes until underside is golden, then carefully turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Transfer to rack, then repeat with remaining chicken. (Note 12 - oil clean and reuse)
• Place chicken on a tray. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce over the chicken - cover around 80% of the chicken, leave the ends crispy.
• Sprinkle sauce with basil, then mozzarella cheese (pile it on in mounds to use it all up), then sprinkle with parmesan. Drizzle oil over parmesan.
• Bake 15 minutes until cheese is melted and there's a few brown spots - no longer, otherwise chicken will overcook.
• Remove from oven, sprinkle with extra basil if desired. Serve immediately (with leftover Tomato Sauce, if you'd like!)

SHEET-PAN MUSHROOM PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan, along with half the garlic, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and toss to coat the tomatoes.
• To the sheet pan, add the mushroom caps in between the tomatoes, gill side up, and drizzle each generously with olive oil. (Don't skimp here, as the olive oil will add lots of rich flavor.) Scatter the mushrooms with the remaining garlic, and season each mushroom with salt and black pepper. Fill each mushroom with marinara sauce, and top with cheese. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.
• Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the bread crumbs, basil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a bowl or jar.
• To serve, transfer mushrooms to serving plates, along with a few of the roasted cherry tomatoes. Top each mushroom with the basil bread crumbs and scatter with a few basil leaves.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off excess, then dip in the egg and let excess drip off, then dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs.
• Divide the oil between 2 large saute pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 chicken breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and top each breast with some Tomato Sauce, a few slices of the mozzarella, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pureed tomatoes with their juices, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, bay leaf, parsley, Cubano pepper, and bring to a boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, the tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.
• For the eggplant (this step is optional, leave it out if you have limited time): Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice and allow it to sit for about 1 hour. Salting it draws out the liquid and bitter flavor. After an hour, rinse with cold water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in single layers on the baking sheets.
• In a large skillet, pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait until the oil registers between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another batch of slices to the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: In a 9 by 13-inch flameproof baking dish, spoon about 1/4 of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant; the eggplant slices can overlap slightly. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Top with a layer of torn basil leaves. Spoon sauce and repeat the layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. End with the remaining mozzarella. Carefully press the layers down firmly into the dish once assembled. Place the dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For extra browning, put the dish under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving to get an extra brown cheesy top. I always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends!

AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan (or wide saucepan), add the garlic, thyme and sage, and cook gently for a few mins. Tip in the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar, and gently simmer for 20-25 mins until thickened a little.
• Meanwhile, heat a griddle (or frying) pan. Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with olive oil, then griddle in batches. You want each slice softened and slightly charred, so don't have the heat too high or the aubergine will char before softening. Remove to a plate as you go.
• In a large baking dish, spread a little of the tomato sauce over the base. Mix 25g of the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and pine nuts, and set aside. Top the sauce with a layer or two of aubergine slices, then season well. Spoon over a bit more sauce, then scatter over some mozzarella, Parmesan and basil leaves. Repeat, layering up - and finish with the last of the tomato sauce. Scatter over the cheesy breadcrumbs and chill for up to 24 hrs, or bake straight away.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake for 30-40 mins until the top is crisp and golden, and the tomato sauce bubbling. Rest for 10 mins, then scatter with basil leaves and serve with salad and focaccia (see 'goes well with').

CLASSIC CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Cut each chicken breast in half lengthways so you have four fillets. Put the fillets on a board, cover with a sheet of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin until they are the same thickness all over.
• Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with a little salt. Tip the egg into another dish, then the breadcrumbs and parmesan into a third dish, stirring to combine. Working with one chicken fillet at a time, coat in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally coat in the cheesy breadcrumb mixture. Transfer the breadcrumbed fillets to a plate as you go. To freeze, stack the fillets in a freezerproof container between sheets of baking parchment. Will keep frozen for three months.
• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a shallow pan and sizzle the garlic for 2 mins. Sprinkle in the sugar and add a splash of the vinegar, then tip in the tomatoes or passata. Add the oregano, season and bubble for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally until thickened. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then transfer to a freezerproof container (portion it into more than one, if you like). Will keep frozen for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan until piping hot.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the breadcrumbed chicken fillets for 3 mins on each side (fresh or from frozen) until golden and crisp. Arrange on a baking tray. Spoon a little of the sauce over the middle of each fillet, and top each with a slice of mozzarella. Heat the grill to high. Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then drain and toss with the remaining sauce. Grill the fillets for 3-4 mins, or 1-2 mins more if they're from the freezer, until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling, then serve.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Halve 2 large skinless chicken breasts through the middle then place the 4 pieces between cling film sheets and bash out with a rolling pin until they are the thickness of a £1 coin.
• Dip in 2 beaten eggs, then 75g breadcrumbs, mixed with half of the 75g grated parmesan. Set aside on a plate in the fridge while you make the sauce.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and cook 2 crushed garlic cloves for 1 min, then tip in half a 690ml jar passata, 1 tsp caster sugar and 1 tsp dried oregano. Season and simmer for 5-10 mins.
• Heat grill to High and cook the chicken for 5 mins each side, then remove.
• Pour the tomato sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish and top with the chicken.
• Scatter over torn pieces of half a 125g ball light mozzarella, and the remaining grated parmesan and grill for 3-4 mins until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.
• Serve with vegetables or salad and some pasta or potatoes, if you like.