PARMIGIANA CAMPANIA BUFFALO CHICKEN

This dish is rocking with classic flavours that work so well together ensuring every mouthful is bursting full of juicy seasoned fried chicken smothered with gooey creamy buffalo cheese, topped with a rich tomato sauce ensuring that every flavour is fully appreciated and a very moreish.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

4 chicken breasts bashed thin

500ml butter milk

300g seasoned plain flour

2 eggs beaten with dash of butter milk

500g panko bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano

oil for shallow frying

2 balls of di campania buffalo mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 red chillies fine sliced (optional)

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

500g penne pasta

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

16 fresh diced tomatoes or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes

1 onion finely chopped

4 cloves garlic fine chopped

200ml chicken stock in a good red wine

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

 

This whole dish can easily be ready in 20 minutes, I find if I bring a large pan of water up to a rolling simmer ready for the pasta, and pre heat the grill when I start cooking it makes all the difference.

 

First I bash the chicken breasts so that they are all the same thickness all over and pop in a food bag with the buttermilk, if you can do this for a min of 30 minutes before you start cooking great or even longer is better, but if like me sometimes a spur of the moment decision means that there is no time to marinate then don't worry and omit this stage.  Meanwhile start the tomato sauce.

 

Pan fry the onions and garlic in a dash of oil until soft, approx 5 minutes, do this while you are preparing the chicken below.  Add the tomatoes, red wine chicken stock, bring to a simmer and leave to bubble along, this is now done apart from reducing a little and the fresh herbs and seasoning.

 

To make things easier have three bowls one with the seasoned flour, one with the egg wash and one with the seasoned panko breadcrumbs.  Take the chicken and dust in the seasoned flour, dust of a little and then dip into the egg wash and then into the seasoned panko breadcrumbs, pat down a little and then place in the fridge for 5 minutes to chill., again not essential but if you do this will hold the seasoned flour and panko breadcrumbs on to the chicken better.

 

Heat a shallow frying pan just under half way with oil and bring up to a medium hot heat for frying gently.  At this point I would add the pasta to the water to start cooking as this will take approx 11 minutes. 

 

Fry the chicken until lightly golden brown on each side, approx 3 minutes on each side and then place on a baking tray and top with the torn buffalo mozzarella and pop under the grill to melt the cheese and brown off slightly. 

 

Now you are ready to plate up, drain the pasta and return to the empty pan, add 70% of the tomato sauce and stir in well, place equal portions on each plate, now take the chicken parmigiana from under the grill and place on top of the pasta, add a ladle of tomato sauce over the top of the chicken and sprinkle with fresh basil and oregano and chillies.