Broken Ankle Chicken Parmigiana

Ok, my ankle is not broken but I thought “I broke my ankle 10 years ago and they put in a plate and 5 screws and since the screws started bothering me, I just had the hardware removed Chicken Parmigiana” didn’t have the same ring to it.

So anyways, I had the surgery 4 days ago and I’m still at home recovering.  I can’t say I have my appetite back nor have I had any real food cravings. Considering the fact I’m not really mobile I’ve just been eating what others have been putting in front of me.  But Ben’s been talking about chicken parmesan for the last few days and I thought it would be nice to sit in the kitchen and make dinner together.  To be honest with you, I had it in my mind that I would give directions and he would make it but then my kitchen OCD kicked in and I had to take over.

Seeing as I don’t have a “favourite jarred tomato sauce” as directed to use in most quick chicken parmesan recipes so I thought I’d whip up a simple homemade one.

Tonight’s version of my simple tomato sauce:

1. Finely dice an onion, carrot and celery pug into a pot/pan heated with olive oil.
2.  Add a few cloves of minced garlic to the pan and let this soffritto cook slowly so it softens but doesn’t colour(around 15 min).
3. Add a drained tin  of whole tomatoes(the big can) crushed by hand , (why don’t I just add crushed or diced tomatoes?  I don’t know, I just like knowing that I’ve done the work and not some big piece of machinery in a factory somewhere).
4. Season with s&p, dried basil, oregano, chili flakes and a tablespoon of brown sugar and let the whole pot simmer for around 30 minutes.
5. Adjust seasoning.  At this point, I like to add a touch of balsamic vinegar to my sauce.
6. Depending on your preference in texture, it’s either done or you can add the last step of blending.  I didn’t feel like having a chunky sauce so I used my immersion blender to make a smooth sauce.

Instructions for the chicken parmesan:

1. Add tomato sauce to bottom of a baking dish.
2. Cut 2 chicken breasts each in half.  Pound breasts out so that they are uniform in thickness.  I’ve seen instructions on how you’re supposed to put the chicken between plastic wrap and use a mallet.  I used the back of a ladle and was successful. Season flattened breasts with s&p.
3. Crack an egg into a shallow bowl& mix.
4. Add 3/4 cup of panko (or breadcrumbs) and 3/4 cup grated parmesan to a dish.  Now your breading station is ready.
5. Take your chicken breast and dip it into the egg and then coat with panko.
6. Heat a pan with oil and fry the chicken on both sides until golden, (a few minutes per side).  Fry the chicken in batches so not to crowd the pan.  Place the chicken on top of the tomato sauce.
7. Add slices of mozzarella (I used fresh aka boccaccini) on top of the chicken.
8. Put the baking dish under the broiler for 5-7 minutes (until the cheese is golden and bubbly).
9. Enjoy!