Traditional chicken Parmesan is a minefield of potential problems: dry meat, soggy crust, and a chewy blanket of mozzarella. To keep the meat moist, we salted the cutlets for 20 minutes, and to keep the
exterior crunchy, we replaced more than half of the bread crumbs with grated Parmesan cheese. Mixing the usual shredded mozzarella with creamy fontina helped ensure that the cheese stayed smooth and melty, not congealed, and we placed the mixture directly on the fried cutlet so that it formed a waterproof layer between the crust and the sauce. A simple homemade sauce made with plenty of aromatics and fresh basil was the perfect finishing touch to this improved classic. This recipe makes enough sauce to top the cutlets as well as four servings of pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 (6-to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally, and pounded ½ inch thick
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (½ cup)
- 2 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (½ cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup)
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil
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For the Sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm. For the Chicken
- Sprinkle each side of each cutlet with ⅛ teaspoon salt and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Combine mozzarella and fontina in bowl and set aside.
- Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Whisk egg and flour together in shallow dish until smooth. Combine Parmesan, panko, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper in second shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then coat with Parmesan mixture, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to large plate.
- Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place 2 cutlets in skillet and cook until crispy and deep golden, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and repeat with remaining 2 cutlets.
- Place cutlets on rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over top. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to serving platter and top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
