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Parmaggedon

Name: Parmaggedon
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 x 200 g (7 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 225 g (8 oz/1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour; 3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten with a drop of milk; 120 g (4 1/4 oz/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small red onion, finely diced; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 2 capsicums (peppers), one red and one yellow, finely diced; 2 x 400 g cans Rich & Thick Classic Tomatoes; 2 bay leaves; A few lemon thyme sprigs; 1 teaspoon raw (demerara) sugar; Vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 200 g (7 oz/2 cups) grated cheddar cheese; 65 g (2 1/2 oz/1/2 cup) grated mozzarella cheese; 150 g (5 1/2 oz) sobrasada salami (soft, cured, spreadable spicy Spanish salami; see glossary); Finely shredded flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, to garnish; Quick slaw (see. Quick Slaw recipe); Hot fries - optional

3 ratings

45m

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Sep 13, 2015

When the ice caps have melted, the carbon credits have been spent and meteors are falling from the sky, this is the schnitzel we’ll be eating. The parmigiana to end all parmigianas: chicken, ham, cheese, sauce and sobrasada colliding together, ending all hope of getting that belt back on when you’re done. This recipe an extract from James Wirth's cookbook, This could get messy: A guide to eating. To drinking. To doing both at the same time.

Schnitzels

6 x 200 g (7 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
225 g (8 oz/1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten with a drop of milk
120 g (4 1/4 oz/2 cups) panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Napoli(ish) sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 capsicums (peppers), one red and one yellow, finely diced
2 x 400 g cans Ardmona Rich & Thick Classic Tomatoes
2 bay leaves
A few lemon thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon raw (demerara) sugar

To serve

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
200 g (7 oz/2 cups) grated cheddar cheese
65 g (2 1/2 oz/1/2 cup) grated mozzarella cheese
150 g (5 1/2 oz) sobrasada salami (soft, cured, spreadable spicy Spanish salami; see glossary)
Finely shredded flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, to garnish
Quick slaw (see. Quick Slaw recipe)
Hot fries - optional

Method

1.

To make the schnitzels, lay a chicken breast on a chopping board, ready to ‘butterfly’ it. Using a steady hand, hold a long, sharp knife along the side of the chicken. Without cutting all the way through, use a sawing action to cut the chicken almost all the way through to the other side, leaving a ‘hinge’ attached. Open the chicken out, place a sheet of plastic wrap on top, then lightly bash the chicken with a rolling pin to flatten it as evenly as possible, to a 1–1.5 cm (½–5∕8 inch) thickness. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2.

Dust the flattened chicken breasts with the flour, dip each fillet into the beaten egg mixture, then dip into the panko crumbs. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, on a tray in the refrigerator until ready to fry; the schnitzels can be crumbed up to 1 day ahead.
3.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Gently sweat the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and soft. Add the capsicums and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and sugar. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened to a sauce consistency.
4.

When the sauce is nearly ready, fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan one-third full of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 180ºC (350ºF) when tested with a cooking thermometer, or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 15 seconds.
5.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill (broiler) to medium–high.
6.

Arrange all the fried chicken schnitzels on a baking tray. Top each one with some Napoli(ish) sauce, a handful of the grated cheeses and a few blobs of sobrasada. Grill for 6–8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and started to bubble. Serve hot, garnished with parsley, with the slaw on the side, and hot fries if desired.