I wanted to try my hand again at chicken parm, and I was thinking about all the tricky parts about it. Could I use a jarred sauce? Yes. But I have time today, and I like experimenting with sauce. I like when tomato sauce has a bit of sugar, and I thought caramelized onions would create an interesting sweetness. The biggest struggle I’ve had with chicken parmesan is the breading. And after having breaded fish tacos earlier this week, I thought I should try a battered then breaded chicken. It would guarantee total coverage instead of those unattractive bald spots where the crispy breading falls off! So this recipe comes from overcome struggles and victory is sweet. Jim and Joe both said it was one of the best things they’ve ever had!
Tomato Sauce 2.0 by Baker’s Theory
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 cup sliced yellow onion (about 1/3 of a large onion)
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt (like 1/8 tsp if you really feel like getting that measuring spoon dirty…)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
28 oz can of peeled tomatoes (San Marzano is good!)
1 1/2 cups salted chicken broth
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (2-3 shakes out of the container usually works)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Serves: 6-8
Instructions
Melt butter in a large (5.5 qt+) Dutch oven on medium-low heat. When hot, drop in onions and stir occasionally to caramelize, about 20 minutes. (If you over-stir, they won’t caramelize, so find a balance where they don’t burn but they brown.) When they start to turn golden, you can add the sugar and salt. Once caramelized, add the garlic and stir until garlic turns golden as well.
Pour the entire contents of the 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes into the pot over the onions and garlic. Smash the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon to break them down a bit. Add the chicken broth, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil on medium heat. Then lower the heat and cover to simmer for an hour undisturbed.
Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature before blending in a food processor. Add red wine vinegar and return the sauce to the pot to stir and warm up before serving.
Battered and Breaded Chicken by Baker’s Theory
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cream
1 egg
1 tbsp baking powder
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Makes about 8 mini chicken breasts
In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, water, kosher salt, cream, egg, and baking powder, whisking until smooth.
In a shallow baking dish, combine panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika. Mix with your hands or a fork until homogenous.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.
On a cutting board, use the palm of your hand to press the chicken breasts to flatten them. Alternatively, use a mallet! Get them about 3/4″ thick. Then slice into smaller pieces until you have about 8-9 mini chicken breasts.
Then working in an assembly line, drop the chicken breasts in the batter and then into the breading, covering completely in breading. If there are parts where the meat is still exposed, you can re-dip into the batter and then the breading a second time to get the coverage desired. Then transfer the chicken piece to the lined baking sheet.
Once all pieces are battered and breaded and on the baking sheet, heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-low heat. When oil is shimmering, transfer three mini chicken breasts to sear them, about 2-3 minutes per side. Then transfer back to the baking sheet and work the next batch.
When all pieces are seared, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Boil salted water while the chicken bakes, and start warming up the tomato sauce. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, but retain some of the water because it will help the sauce stick to the noodles. Add 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 cup grated parmesan to the noodles and stir quickly to incorporate.
To assemble, plate pasta, then sauce, then chicken, then sauce again, and spread mozzarella (shreds, buffalo, or any other cheese) on top. ENJOYYY.