Deb’s Kitchen | Deb’s Sicilian chicken Parmesan

By Deb Quinn

Nov 25, 2024

This isn’t just any chicken Parmesan, it’s Sicily on a plate. Photo by Contributed

Debbie Quinn has a lifelong love of food and cooking, nurtured in her parents’ restaurants and in her own family’s kitchen. Every fortnight she shares her passion and expertise with our readers, bringing her best recipes, tips and tricks to the table.

This is probably one of my favourite family recipes.

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The sauce is easy and has a lovely flavour.

The base of the dish is freshly crumbed chicken — and let’s face it, who doesn’t love freshly home-made chicken schnitzel?

When the family are home and if there are any leftovers, I need to make sure I divide the leftovers evenly for them to take home.

Crumbed chicken

– 4 chicken fillets

– 1 cup plain flour for dusting chicken fillets (use more if needed and season with white pepper and salt)

– 2 eggs (beaten)

– 2 tablespoons water

– Panko breadcrumbs (2 cups, more if needed)

– 60g butter

– 80ml olive oil

– 1 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese or Parmesan

Tomato sauce

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 2 medium brown onions, finely diced

– 2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely diced

– 2 medium capsicums, finely diced

– 3 fresh cloves garlic, crushed

– 800g Mutti plain tomato passata or 2 x 400g tomato puree

– 4 tsp caster sugar

– 2 tablespoons tomato paste

– 3 cups chicken stock (you can also use 3 cups water mixed with 3 heaped teaspoons Massel chicken stock powder)

– 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley – reserve 1 tablespoon parsley to garnish

– 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil – reserve 1 tablespoon basil to garnish

– 1 extra tablespoon pecorino or Parmesan cheese to garnish

– 1 teaspoon sea salt

Just a few key ingredients to start. Photo by Contributed

Chicken

Pound the thick end of chicken fillets out to make them even and cut them in half.
Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
Dip in combined beaten egg and water, then dip into the panko breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs into the chicken fillets.
Refrigerate chicken while you make the sauce.

Tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a medium pan, sauté the onion, celery, capsicum and garlic for around 8 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally until soft.
Add the tomato paste and sauté for a couple of minutes then add the passata or pureed tomato with the sugar, and chicken stock.
Cover, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat covered for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce is thick (no more than 5 minutes).
Then stir through the finely chopped parsley and basil.

To finish the chicken

In two batches, heat 30ml of the oil and half the butter in a large nonstick frypan on a medium heat until the butter and oil are combined. The butter shouldn’t burn.
Add half the chicken pieces and brown each side for around 1 to 2 minutes (no longer — you don’t want to cook the chicken through because it will finish cooking in the oven), place on kitchen towel to drain off some of the oil and butter, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
Place chicken in a casserole dish that will fit the chicken fillets in a single layer.
Top the chicken with half the pecorino or Parmesan cheese, spoon the tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
Bake uncovered in a moderate 180°C fan oven for 20 minutes.
Garnish with an extra 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped fresh parsley, basil and freshly grated pecorino/Parmesan cheese.

Deb’s tips

To pound the chicken, put Glad Wrap over the top of the chicken, it does a much better job.

I like to serve this dish with pappardelle pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked, I usually add ½ cup of pasta water with 1 clove of crushed garlic and ¼ cup of light cream.

Let it sauté for a couple of minutes and toss through 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley and basil.

You can also serve this dish with a lovely salad, polenta or your favourite vegetables.

Bon appétit.