Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

Peanut Oil for frying

3 ½ Cups Mozzarella

¾ Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

Chives for serving

Breading

1 ½ Cups unbleached all-purpose Flour

1 Tbs Salt

Pepper to taste

4 Eggs plus a splash of Filtered Water

2 ½ Cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Sauce

3 sliced uncooked thick-cut Bacon

2 ½ Tbs Olive Oil

2 Red Fresno Chilies, finely diced

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

5 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

1 28oz can crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of Sugar

5 sprigs Thyme, tied with kitchen twine

¼ Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Sauce

Slice bacon into ½ inch pieces and place in a cold medium saucepan

Place over medium heat and add the olive oil. Stir often

Once the bacon starts to become crispy, add the chilies, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Continue cooking over medium heat until fragrant, about one minute

Remove all the solids and place on a cutting board. Finely chop and add back to the pan

Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Let sauce simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

Pour the entire sauce mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Chicken

Slice chicken all the way through, width-wise. Cover halved breasts with plastic wrap and beat them with a heavy-bottomed pot until they’re evenly thick

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deeper saucepan on the stove over medium heat until shimmering

While the oil is heating, prepare your breading station with three shallow bowls. Flour, salt, and pepper in the first bowl, eggs whisked with the filtered water in the second, and panko in the third

Bread the chicken like normal. Make sure you shake off the excess flour, don’t leave any dry spots in the egg wash, and press the chicken firmly into the panko to make sure they’re fully coated

Fry the chicken in the oil, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the oil and place them on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet to cool

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees if it has a temperature option

Top chicken breasts with the red sauce, followed by cheese mixture