Chicken parmigiana
Anna Del Conte's chicken parmigiana is the easy Italian-American chicken bake that's perfect for midweek cooking. Crunchy, cheesy and with an easy tomato sauce, this is sure to become a family favourite.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 4 chicken breasts
- 50g/1¾oz dry breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs work well)
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 25g/1oz butter
- pinch dried chilli flakes
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú mozzarella, cut into 5mm/¼in-thick slices
- handful fresh basil or oregano leaves
- salt
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and gently simmer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lay the chicken breasts in between two sheets of baking paper and bash with a meat tenderiser or rolling pin, until flattened slightly.
Season the breadcrumbs with salt in a shallow bowl or plate. Put the egg in another shallow bowl. Coat the chicken in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, or until crisp, turning halfway through.
Put half of the tomato sauce in a shallow ovenproof dish. Lay the chicken on top, scatter with the chilli flakes and cover with the remaining sauce. Top with the mozzarella and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 10 minutes.
Uncover the chicken and bake for a further 8–10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breast, until cooked through. Top with the basil and serve.