How many recipes there must be for everyone's perennial and beloved favourite Chicken Parma! We humbly offer our version to the pantheon of great Parma recipes. We've kept our topping simple but just about anything can be added - ham, avocado, olives, roasted capsicum - the list could go on and on.
To be clear an Aussie Chicken Parma is a national treasure and not to be confused with the more sedate Italian-American Chicken Parmigiana that usually has no topping except tomato based sauce and cheese. Italians do not have Chicken Parmigiana but rather a classic eggplant dish done in a similar fashion that comes from the southern Italian regions and Sicily. Another difference between the Aussie Chicken Parma and the rest, is that we tend to use an entire chicken breast per serve whereas in America, where this originated, they use then slices of chicken and flatten them out. Either way it's so good.
What makes this Parma so delicious is seasoning the chicken with our Wild Herb Salt and topping with our Outback Tomato Chutney - amongst other things! We also don't coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and offer a lighter version - it makes up for adding extras on top !
For 4 very hungry people or more
4 chicken breasts, slightly/moderately flattened to an even height
1 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon Wild Herb Salt or to taste
1 teaspoon Mountain Pepper (or freshly ground black pepper)
Outback Tomato Chutney - approx. 2 tablespoons per Parma
2 teaspoons Mountain Pepper or to taste
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs - we like a mix of thyme, oregano and basil but again, its what you have on hand or what you prefer
8 slices tomato
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
olive oil for shallow frying
Pre-heat your oven to 200C or 180C if its a convection/fan forced option.
On a large flat plate add the Wild Herb Salt and the Mountain Pepper to the rice flour and mix together with your fingers or a spoon until well blended.
Press each slightly flattened chicken breast in the rice flour mix until the chicken is fully dusted, each side, in the flour mix. Let the chicken rest for about 20-30 minutes so that the flavours from the salt can dry-marinade the chicken.
Prepare a baking tray for the Chicken Parmas by lining with baking paper. Mix the two cheeses together
Heat just enough oil to cover the base of a saucepan and pan fry each chicken breast for a minute or two each side - just until it turns a light golden colour.
Remove from the pan and place on the baking tray.
Once all the chicken has been pan-fried and placed on the baking tray the topping begins!
Spread a generous tablespoon of Outback Tomato Chutney over the top of each chicken breast and sprinkle a little Mountain Pepper on each. Add enough of the mixed cheeses to cover the surface of each Parma (you should have enough to layer them twice with cheese) and then top each Parma with two slices of tomato.
Season the tomato with a little more Wild Herb Salt and Mountain Pepper (or substitutes) and scatter more fresh herbs across the top of each Parma. Use the remaining cheeses to cover the Parmas for the second time. This layering of flavours and textures makes this just so yum!
Place in the middle shelf of the hot oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through ( about 12-15 minutes depending on size) and the cheese has melted and is golden brown.
copyright Juleigh Robins, used with permission