This is the Australian pub classic, parmi or parma depending where in Australia you are. The dish was adapted from a Southern Italy dish called Pollo alla parmigiana where it’s traditionally made with eggplant, but somewhere along the way the eggplant got swapped for crumbed chicken and a slice of leg ham slipped in between the chicken and the marinara.

We’re going to butterfly chicken breast so it cooks fast and stays juicy, crumb it in panko for the crunchy finish, then top it with ham, marinara and mozzarella under the grill until it’s bubbling. Serve it with chips and salad like you would at the local.

Chicken Parmi Explained

The marinara

This is a simple sauce: tinned diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and dried oregano. Cook the garlic gently in the oil first without letting it colour, because burnt garlic will make the whole sauce taste bitter. Then add the tomatoes and let them break down for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. That’s it. You don’t need anything fancier than that for a parmi.

The chicken

We butterfly the chicken breast so it cooks evenly and stays juicy, instead of dealing with a thick lump that overcooks on the outside before the middle is done. Run your knife through the centre of the thickest point and open it out like a book, leaving the two halves attached down the middle. It should look like a love heart. Season both sides, then crumb in flour, egg and panko in that order. Press the panko in firmly so it sticks to the chicken when it goes into the oil.

The chips and salad

If you’re doing the full pub plate, you want chips and a green salad on the side. I haven’t put the full chips recipe here, just head over to my double fried chips and follow that. If you're making the chips, prep your chips and do the first fry, start your parmi, then drop the chips back in for the second fry while the parmi finishes under the grill. Strain the breadcrumbs out of the oil with a dry sieve before the second fry or your chips will taste like fried crumbs. For the green salad, I just go with a classic lettuce, tomato, cucumber and capsicum with some olive oil over the top. But you can make it however you like.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken breast: Look for breasts of similar size so they cook in the same time. If one is much thicker than the other, butterfly that one a touch more so the two pieces end up the same thickness across the pan.

Mozzarella: Use block mozzarella for this, not fresh. Block mozzarella melts in a smooth, even layer that holds the marinara underneath it. Fresh buffalo mozzarella has too much water and will leave the parmi soggy.

Panko breadcrumbs: Panko gives the crispiest crust because the flakes are larger and lighter than regular breadcrumbs. Don’t substitute fine dried breadcrumbs, they go dense and the texture isn’t the same.

Equipment

• Chopping board

• Chef’s knife

• Tongs

• Microplane or fine grater

• Small saucepan

• 3 shallow bowls or trays

• Deep frying pan

• Cooking thermometer

• Oven tray