How to make Clodagh McKenna's chicken parmigiana

Midweek comfort food — just add a glass of Pinot

5 February 2020

The classic chicken parmigiana always makes a gorgeous midweek supper. Chicken and parmesan given a crispy coating, then smothered in a rich homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese — sounds good, right?

It’s a fairly straightforward recipe, and one that can be adjusted to taste, too. If you want a crispier chicken, use panko breadcrumbs. Don’t fancy the dried oregano? Swap it for fresh basil or dried rosemary. I also like to add in some chopped black olives for extra flavour, though they’re optional. But stick to tinned Italian cherry tomatoes as they’re much sweeter than the whole or crushed tinned tomatoes.

To cleanse the palate, I like to serve this with a fresh green salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. You can make this ahead up to step four in the recipe below, and then finish it off when you’re ready to plate up. Serve your parmigiana with a delicious glass of Pinot Noir — heaven!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serve with: Escarpment The Edge Pinot Noir, £14.99 from Waitrose

Ingredients

2 large, skinless chicken breasts, halved through the middle
75g breadcrumbs
100g parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 eggs, beaten
100g flour
100ml sunflower oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinara sauce

2 tbsps olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tins cherry tomatoes (800g in total)
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsps dried oregano
2 buffalo mozzarella, torn
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6.

2. Begin by prepping the chicken, then prepare a breading station with three large mixing bowls: one with breadcrumbs, with the parmesan mixed in with a fork; another with the beaten eggs; and the third with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

3. Coat each piece of chicken in flour and shake off the excess. Next, dip a piece into the egg mixture, and finally into the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat these steps for the remaining chicken and set aside on a plate.

4. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the sunflower oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook until golden brown for five to seven minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

5. Next make the marinara sauce. Place a saucepan over a medium heat, and add 2 tbsps olive oil. Then stir in the crushed garlic and onion and cook until soft, which should be in about four minutes. Add in the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, dried oregano and chilli flakes, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Pour half of the marinara sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish and add the chicken, then pour the remaining tomato sauce on top. Scatter over the torn buffalo mozzarella and 50g grated parmesan. Place in the pre-heated oven until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, which will take 10 to 15 minutes.

Follow Clodagh on Instagram @clodagh_mckenna

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Clodagh McKenna

How to make Clodagh McKenna's chicken parmigiana

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