Fabio's Ultimate Chicken Parm

Fabio kicks off going back to school with the best chicken parmesan from his childhood. The secret is a perfectly fried chicken breast that stays crisp under mounds of parmesan, marinara sauce and silky mozzarella.



Tips:
• Use a meat mallet to pound your chicken evenly. For best and easy results, cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap before pounding.
• Bread the chicken in flour before the egg. The flour will stick to the chicken and help you build a spectacular coating with the eggs and the Panko breadcrumbs.
• Fry the chicken thoroughly to build a crisp "juice jail" for the pounded chicken. You want a nice brown color for ultimate crispness. The secret so it won't get soggy underneath the marinara? Cover the fried chicken with a blanket of Parmesan cheese before putting the marinara sauce on top of it. The cheese will protect the fried chicken, giving you a perfect texture.


Chicken Parmesan
Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups light olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, split in half lengthwise
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups Fabio's Marinara Sauce
8 oz. whole buffalo Mozzarella, sliced into eight thick pieces
fresh basil, to garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to the highest BROIL setting.
Add light olive oil to a deep sauté pan, and heat over medium high heat.
Pound chicken breast halves with the pitted side of a mallet, until about ¼ inch thin.
Dredge each piece of chicken in flour.
Coat in egg wash, and then with Panko, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken.
Fry chicken in oil until golden brown, turning once, and drain on paper towels.
Place hot fried chicken pieces into a shallow baking dish.
Top each piece with salt, pepper and a "blanket" of Parmesan cheese.
Place a dollop of marinara on top of each piece of chicken, then top with two slices of Mozzarella.
Place under broiler until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh basil.

MANGIA!