Chicken parmigiana — a breaded, fried chicken cutlet topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella, often served over spaghetti — does not exist in Italy. It is a purely Italian-American creation, descended from *melanzane alla parmigiana* (eggplant parmigiana, which IS Italian) and adapted by Italian immigrant cooks who applied the same breading-frying-sauce-cheese technique to the chicken that was cheaper and more available in America than veal (the protein in *cotoletta alla milanese*, the other ancestor). The dish is the flagship of the Italian-American red sauce restaurant and the subject of passionate debate: thin cutlet or thick? Sauce on top or sauce on the side? Mozzarella only or mozzarella-and-Parmesan?
A chicken breast, pounded thin (5-7mm), breaded (flour → egg wash → seasoned breadcrumbs, ideally Italian-seasoned with dried oregano, basil, garlic, and grated Parmesan mixed into the breadcrumbs), and fried in olive oil until the coating is deeply golden and crispy. The fried cutlet is placed in a baking dish, topped with a ladle of marinara sauce and a thick layer of shredded mozzarella (and often grated Parmesan), then broiled or baked until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown. Served over spaghetti with additional sauce.
1) Pound the chicken thin and even — the thin cutlet cooks quickly during frying, remaining juicy inside the crispy crust. Thick, uneven cutlets produce raw centres and overcooked edges. 2) The three-stage breading (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) must be complete — any bare spots won't crisp and will leak moisture. 3) Fry until deeply golden before saucing — underdone breading becomes soggy under the sauce. 4) The sauce goes ON TOP, not underneath — the bottom crust should remain crispy against the plate while the top crust softens under the sauce and cheese.
The chicken parm hero (sub/sandwich) — the fried cutlet, sauce, and melted mozzarella on a long Italian roll — is arguably a better delivery format than the plate-and-spaghetti version. The roll provides structure and portability.
Too thick a cutlet — uneven cooking, tough centre. Sauce on the bottom — destroys the bottom crust.
Arthur Schwartz — Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food