Perfection! NYC Style Chicken Parma

In our top 5 family fave repertoire must be Chicken Parma. I always thought I made a really good one as my family told me so. Oh, so sorry!!! Not as good as this new version. The taste reminiscent of the Parkside Chicken Parma we enjoyed with our Dad a hundred years ago in Corona, Queens, NYC. That salty, cheesy crispy, only in NYC flavour.

A bit of a process:

Make your favorite version of marinara sauce. I simply saute in olive oil- tons of chopped garlic until golden, some chili flakes, add 2 cans of whole of diced tomatoes which I crush in the pot, and lots of salt and pepper. No onion, no sweetness in my sauce!

For the chicken- the KEY to this amazing parma is the marinade and technique.

Butterfly chicken breasts, and pound them flat. One should be good for 2 people.
In a pyrex or pan, let the chicken sit in the fridge for a few hours in a marinade of lots of chopped garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. It may go opaque and that's OK.

Breading:
1 plate of flour and salt, eyeball enough to cover the amount of chicken you will dredge
1 plate of 2-3 beaten eggs, add 1 tbsp. each of garlic and onion powder, some oregano (Greek if you have it, so much better than the rest!) some rosemary nice, and salt and pepper.
1 plate of panko or regular breadcrumbs, no seasoning needed.

So, first the marinated chicken is dipped in the flour and shaken, then the egg, then the panko. Place this on a rack which will then go back in the fridge for about  30 min to an hour. It dries up which make a crispier fry. This is also KEY!!

In a large Creuset or deep pot, put about an inch of Canola or any light high- heat frying oil. Not olive oil here...the oil needs to get HOT. To test if ready, dip a corner of the chicken and

check for that sizzle. Drop the breast in the oil and let it deep fry for about 2 min. on each side. Keep going until all of them are cooked, one at a time. They will be golden brown!!

In a pan that can handle a broil, place sauce on the bottom, then the fried breasts on top, add more sauce not quite to the edge, and top with good quality mozzarella mixed with Parmesan cheese, (no other cheese!). Sprinkle fresh finely chopped parsley all over.

At this point, you can bake the breasts for a few minutes and then broil. If the chicken is thin enough, just broil.

Serve with your favorite pasta...it's a killer! 

I promise, this is the BEST chicken parma you will ever make. I'm sticking with it as my birthday meal!!