An amalgamation of my family’s chicken cutlet recipe and my boyfriend Gabe’s version of this Italian American classic, this chicken parmesan is perfectly crispy, savory, and great for a dinner crowd. We made it while on vacation in the Adirondacks, and I’m including some photos of the trip!
My mom’s side of the family has had a summer tradition for three years now. We rent a big AirBnB somewhere and we all – my mom, stepmom Deb, her kid Kai, my brother Ben, sister-in-law Julie, niece Scarlet, and my boyfriend Gabe and I – stay for a week. Two years ago it was in Provincetown (which inspired this pasta puttanesca recipe) and last year it was in Rhode Island. This year we chose a house in the gorgeous Adirondacks. And while I love the adventures we go on when we take these trips, the best part of this vacation is just spending time together. And of course that includes huge and indulgent meals. This year, in honor of my mom’s birthday, Gabe and I made her all-time favorite meal, chicken parmesan. And since we were a group of eight, I’m sharing this recipe for chicken parmesan for a crowd.
Of course chicken parmesan is a classic Italian American meal. But it’s my mom’s favorite, and my mom’s side is actually where I get my Jewish heritage. It’s always interesting for me to think of the ways in which Italian and Jewish culture overlap, especially here in New York City. Chicken parmesan is definitely not a strictly Jewish meal – in fact, it’s really not even kosher because it combines meat and dairy. But much like the Italian Rainbow Cookie, to me chicken parmesan combines both Italian and Jewish culture. That’s probably due to the memories I have of my (culturally, not super religiously) Jewish side of the family going out for extravagant Italian meals, and pretty much always having a plate of chicken or veal parmesan on the table.
A CHICKEN PARMESAN AMALGAMATION
This chicken parmesan recipe is an amalgamation of recipes. My Italian side of the family makes chicken cutlets (a lot) and much of the chicken cutlet base of this recipe comes from that family recipe. But my boyfriend Gabe loves to cook, and he insisted on putting a few of his own personal spins on this recipe. We used panko breadcrumbs instead of the traditional ones, which make the cutlets extra crispy. And since I was in charge of the sauce, I threw in a few anchovy filets (my secret ingredient), for some extra savoriness. When it came to baking the chicken, we went for a very thin layer of sauce (and served the rest on the side) to retain the crispiness of the cutlets. So while this may not be the most traditional chicken parm recipe, it does incorporate some traditional elements, and it comes out unbelievably delicious.
OUR TRIP TO THE ADIRONDACKS
Of course I’m writing this post to share this great chicken parm recipe, but I also wanted to share some pictures from our incredible trip in the Adirondacks. This truly is a gorgeous area of New York, and there are some fantastic things to see and do. We went to Ausable Chasm, a beautiful sandstone gorge known as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks. We took the ferry across Lake Champlain to Vermont where we visited Ben and Jerry’s, Shelburne Farms and Burlington. And we saw no shortage of gorgeous mountain scenes and waterfalls. Just take a look at the photos to experience the beauty of this area for yourself!
Chicken Parmesan for a Crowd
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 anchovy filets, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup red wine
- olive oil
- salt
- crushed red pepper
For the chicken cutlets
- 3 lb chicken breasts
- 6 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the chicken parmesan
- tomato sauce (see recipe)
- chicken cutlets (see recipe)
- 1 16 oz brick mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- fresh basil, for topping
- pasta, for serving
Instructions
For the sauce
- Drizzle some olive oil into a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic, onions, and anchovy filets until anchovies are broken down and garlic and onion are softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add in tomato paste and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine, using a spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Lower the heat to low and simmer tomato sauce until thickened and all the flavors have come together, at least 1 hour. Season with salt and crushed red pepper as needed.
For the chicken cutlets
- Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound out until 1/4 inch thick. Dry the chicken breasts well with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Set up a chicken dredging station using 3 shallow but wide bowls. In one, add the flour. In the second, whisk the eggs. In the third, add the panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the cutlets. Start with a dusting of flour, followed by a dip in the egg wash, shaking the cutlet to remove the excess egg, and then press into the breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Transfer the cutlets to a parchment paper lined sheet tray as you bread them, and keep them in the fridge until ready to fry.
- Fry the cutlets in 1/4 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. You will need to do this in batches; change the oil in the pan every 2 batches. Allow the cutlets to drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
For the chicken parmesan
- On a sheet tray or shallowing baking pan, place an even layer of chicken cutlets. Top each with a spread of sauce and a few slices of mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melty and slightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and immediately top with basil. Serve with pasta and extra tomato sauce.
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