Chicken Parmigiana (Frango à Parmegiana)

One of the dishes I tried for my Brazilian Food Week in November 2017 and served over linguini as suggested in the recipe. Had to make only one substitution for Panko breadcrumbs as it is not available in our Indian markets. Did turn out very good - my nieces can vouch for that! Recipe here: http://www.cynthiapresser.com/recipe-blog/main-dishes/chicken/313-chicken-parmigiana-frango-a-parmegiana

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 4 fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (I used 1/2 cup extra bread crumbs)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used fresh) 
• 2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
• 4 slices ham
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella - a combination of cheeses can be used)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded

Chicken Parmigiana

Served over a bed of linguini

Preparation

• Season chicken fillets with salt and pepper. Keep bread crumbs in a bowl. 
• Dip fillets into egg, and then dredge in the bread crumbs mixture, letting excess drip off.
• Place 2 tablespoons olive oil on a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry chicken fillets 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer fillets to a baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add remaining olive oil to the same pan. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat until soft, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Fold in basil.
• Top chicken breasts with tomato sauce, ham, shredded cheese, and parmesan. Bake until chicken is cooked through and cheeses have melted, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve over a bed of linguini.