Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

Pair With...

If you want to go old-school, red-checkerboard tablecloth style of restaurant head directly to a simple Chianti. Other choices would include a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Nero d’Avola. All of these delightful wines will provide mouthwatering cherry and berry fruit flavors with a medium body and clean finish. Pinot Gris (Grigio) and Albariño both typically have this profile. There is also Godello from Spain that would be a perfect pairing. If you can’t find these, a Sauvignon Blanc, especially from the Northwest US, is a great choice.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or cutlets)
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, whisked
3 cups panko bread crumbs
Kosher salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 tablespoons oregano
Safflower oil (or sunflower, canola)
28 oz can marinara sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8 oz shredded mozzarella (or fresh mozzarella)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
If using full chicken breasts, cut them in half lengthwise to make cutlets.
Place flour, eggs and panko into three separate containers. Season the flour with salt, and season the panic with pepper and oregano.
Dip a piece of chicken in flour, then eggs, then coat with panko. Set aside. Repeat with all pieces.
Fill a large skillet with about 1/4-inch of oil. Place over medium heat.
When oil begins to shimmer and is hot, fry cutlets in batches, turning halfway through, until brown, about 3 min per side.
Set aside on cooling rack over a sheet pan if possible. Otherwise on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Arrange the chicken cutlets over the sauce, overlapping where needed. Add the remaining sauce. Top with parmesan and the mozzarella.
Place the pan in the oven and bake about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool 10 min before serving.

Chris Chisholm is a Certified Specialist of Wine and a graduate of Boston University Wine Studies and Wine Making programs. He is also a graduate of Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver, CO. He has worked as a personal chef and chef instructor.

If you have any questions, email Chris at chris@snugharborwine.com. You can also follow Chris on Instagram @winechefchris for more delicious food photos!