Chicken Parmigiana

Tender pieces of crumbed chicken are topped with homemade tomato sauce and grated cheese, and then oven baked until the cheese is golden and melted.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt  ·  2 tablespoons 
• large Spanish, yellow onion, chopped finely  ·  1 whole 
• extra virgin olive oil  ·  2 tablespoons 
• garlic, minced  ·  4 cloves 
• (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in juice  ·  3 cans 
• tomato paste small  ·  1 can 
• Herbies Bay Leaves  ·  2  whole 
• bunch fresh Italian, flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped  ·  ½ item 
• black pepper  ·  1 tablespoon 
• boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin  ·  4 whole 
• fresh Italian, flat-leaf parsley  ·  ½ stick 
• fresh basil  ·  ½ stick 
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese  ·  ¼ cup 
• fresh mozzarella, grated  ·  1 pound 
• vegetable oil for pan frying  ·  1 cup 
• bread crumbs (panko bread crumbs optional)  ·  2 cups 
• large eggs, beaten  ·  4 whole 
• all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper  ·  2 cups 
• fresh oregano  ·  1 portion 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes with their juices, 1 cup water, bay leaves, herbs and season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until flavors are well developed.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Set up an assembly line with separate containers for the seasoned flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs. Dredge each chicken breast individually in the seasoned flour and tap off excess. Then dip in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off. Finally cover the chicken breast in bread crumbs on both sides.

Divide the oil between 2 large sauté pans over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pans and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken breasts to a baking sheet. Top each chicken breast with the tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, basil and oregano. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil and fresh grated Parmesan.

Serve with spaghetti or steamed vegetables and Williamson Wines Allure Meritage.