Chicken Parmigiana

My version of chicken parmigiana is basically an oven fried/baked herb-crusted chicken with margarita topping (as in the pizza) - fashioned after the Herb Crusted Chicken that they used to serve at Dome Cafe and  the Chicken Parmagiana at Ben's General Food Store in Bangsar Village. Adding on the asparagus tips comes entirely from my love of the vegie!

Herb Crusted Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Cheddar Topping - and crowned with asparagus tips

This is a great main to make when entertaining at home. Its scrumptious appearance belies the ease in which chicken parmagiana may be prepared.

My version is more tomato-based and lighter on the cheeses, using cheddar as an alternative to the usual mozzarella and parmesan suspects.

The chicken pieces may be marinated and crumbed ahead of time and kept chilled in the fridge (up till a day ahead). Cooking the chicken pieces half an hour  before dinner ensures that chicken is succulent and piping hot when served.  Oven frying/baking enables bulk preparation as opposed to pan frying. Quantity is limited to stove and pan capacity, which in turn is ...well... rather limited in the confines of the regular home kitchen.

Ingredients (Serves 8)

For Crumbed Chicken

Arrange the following ingredients in the order above for ease of crumbing
(of course, you've got to lightly whip the eggs and mix up the flour plus the dried herbs)

2 whole chicken thigh fillets and 2 breast meat fillet 
(marinate the deboned chicken pieces with 2 tspn of salt) 

3 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried parsley

3/4 cup plain flour

2-3 cups bread crumbs

2 eggs, light beaten

A baking tray (lined with aluminium foil) and brushed with some normal cooking oil

Margarita Sauce Topping
Ready-made/Bottled napoletana tomato sauce
10g sprigs of fresh basil leaves
Grated cheddar cheese
6-8 Asparagus tips
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds






METHODOLOGY FOR CHICKEN CRUMBING

(1) Lightly dust the both sides of chicken with the evenly combined flour and herb mixture

 (2) Quickly coat the floured chicken with the lightly beaten eggs 

(3) Drop the chicken into the bread crumb dish. Using your fingers, scoop the crumbs over the chicken. Press crumbs firmly into chicken to ensure that chicken is well crumbed on both sides.

 (4) Oil your your roasting tray. Place the chicken into an oiled tray. 

 Repeat processes (1) till (4) until all the chicken pieces are well crumbed. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

Crumbed chicken may be prepared ahead of time up to a day ahead before cooking.

COOKING AND ASSEMBLY OF THE CHICKEN

 Place your chilled crumb chicken into a preheated oven. Temperature of 200 degrees celsius with fan on for 20 minutes.

.

Mid way through cooking or when top side of chicken is golden brown, turn the chicken over. Continue to bake for a further 10-15 min before taking chicken out from the oven.

(5)  Place the sliced tomatoes on the crispy baked chicken. (At this stage, I'd used a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the chicken into half for smaller individual portions. This way I also get to check to see if the insides of the chicken is fully cooked)

 (6) Place the fresh basil leaves over the tomatoes.

 (7) Spoon the napoletana/tomato sauce over. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to soften the tomato slices.

 (8) Take chicken out from the oven, spoon another tbsp of napoletana sauce and sprinkle cheddar cheese onto each chicken parcel. 

(9) Crown each parcel with an asparagus tip or two and finish off with some bread crumbs. Return to the oven for the final time for a further 3-5 minutes. 

 I served my chicken on a bed of aglio olio (garlic coriander, chilli flakes) spaghetti. 

This was such a manageable recipe for 8-10 pax (limited only by your oven capacity). With some planning, the entire process was a breeze relative to the tasty and pretty results.

 I had also made some salad during the time the chicken was being baked. It was a pea-sprout, cherry tomatoes, mango and carrot salad tossed with some lemon juice and basil-infused olive oil.