Chicken Parmesan

 

Last night I made seven (7!) servings of chicken parm for the four of us. Today there is zero (0) left over.  It was hands down a personal best for my chicken parmesan.

Now, I'm not saying the traditional techniques are not good.  Frankly, I'd eat a dishtowel if it was dishtowel parmesan.  That said, traditional does not mean inviolate.  Here's how I do ours.

• Don't slice the breasts thin.  Just halve them into 'The fat end' and the 'The thin end'.  Then pound thin sides just enough to flatten a bit, and the fat ends till they are as thick as the thin ends.  Gentle whackety whack.  The goal is not thin, but even. 
• Season the crap out of that chicken.  It needs it, wants it, and will have it.  I use kosher salt, fresh black pepper, Aleppo pepper, dried garlic and onion, all ground together till fine.
• Don't go crazy with breading, but get it even and let them rest a few minutes while the oil heats.  The coating will stick better.
• Pan fry in 1/2" of olive oil.  Not the good stuff. Just olive-ish will do.  Fry till GBD (Golden Brown and Delicious), but don't worry if it's done.  Short of done is best since it will be going into the oven at high temp.
• Do NOT splash sauce over the lovely crispy fried chicken cutlet!! (!!).  All that effort to get it crispy, crunchy, and perfect... only to slather anti-crispy juice all over it? Harrumph.  It will meet the sauce on the plate.
• Cheese?  Mozzarella?  NO.  Admit it, Mozzarella cheese is rubbery and tasteless compared to most cheeses.  Why do that to ourselves?
• Grate a lot of Gouda into a bowl and mix it with Ricotta.  Spice and herb it to your desire, but make sure you do.  Spread this cheese mix on the cutlets as they rest on a foil shaped sheet pan.  NO SAUCE.
• Grate a lot of fresh parmesan into the bowl, and spread that onto the cheese that is spread onto the cutlets. Keep putting on the parm until it feels uncomfortable.
• Dust lightly with Cayenne, and the bake at 425 till the cheese goes bubbly and brown. At that point it's done.  Serve as you wish.  We put it on Fettuccini with a little sauce on the side.