Chicken & Poultry

grocery Ingredients

• Marinara sauce (or store-bought marinara)
• Spaghetti (or other pasta shapes)
• Chicken breast fillet, butterflied and pounded thin (or chicken cutlet)
• All-purpose flour
• Egg, beaten with a little water
• Water, a little
• Panko bread crumbs, seasoned (or regular breadcrumbs)
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Fresh basil leaves, fresh leaves
• Provolone cheese
• Mozzarella cheese

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Start a simple marinara sauce on the stove, or use store-bought marinara if you prefer.
2. Choose a pasta shape (Nicole uses spaghetti). Toss the pasta with some of the sauce before serving.
3. Place each chicken breast fillet between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap; butterfly the breast open slightly and place a second piece on top, then pound both pieces thin so they are the same thickness.
4. Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: flour; beaten egg mixed with a little water; and seasoned panko breadcrumbs (the panko already contains Italian seasonings and Romano cheese) with additional Parmesan added to the panko mixture.
5. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dredge in flour for a light but complete coating, dip in the egg wash, then press into the breadcrumb mixture so they are completely coated.
6. Place the coated chicken on a pan and let them rest for about 10 to 15 minutes so the coating adheres.
7. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a skillet for shallow frying; the oil should come up about halfway on the chicken.
8. Shallow-fry the chicken about 2 minutes per side, until golden and crispy; the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
9. Top each fried chicken piece with fresh basil leaves, then a little cheese under the sauce, spoon on marinara, and finish with the remaining cheeses (a combination of provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan).
10. Bake the topped chicken at 450° for about 10 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and gooey.
11. Serve the baked chicken with the tossed pasta and additional sauce on the side if desired.

grocery Ingredients

Chicken and breading

• 4 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to 1/4 inch
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cup plain fine breadcrumbs, plain, fine
• 2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Traditional tomato sauce

• 40ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 slice thick-cut bacon, diced into 1/8 inch cubes (or pancetta)
• 5 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 3-5 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 28 oz (794g) San Marzano crushed tomatoes, crushed, canned
• 1/4 cup water
• Sugar, pinch
• Fresh cracked black pepper

Gochujang chicken sauce

• 6 tbsp grated palm sugar
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 5 tbsp brown rice vinegar (or regular rice vinegar, white distilled vinegar)
• 6 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 cup gochujang
• 8 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp honey

Tomato-gochujang sauce (for Korean parm)

• Canola oil, enough to coat bottom of pan (or avocado oil)
• 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 14 oz (397g) crushed tomatoes, crushed, canned
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup gochujang
• 1 tbsp sugar

Topping

• 2 1/2 cup low-moisture mozzarella, freshly grated
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Frying oil

• Canola oil, enough to fill at least 2 inches in pot (or avocado oil)

book_ribbon Instructions

Prep

1. Butterfly each of the 4 chicken breasts (cut in half but not all the way through) and open like a book; lightly pound each to about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Season both sides of each chicken breast lightly with salt.
3. Set up a three-bowl breading station: bowl 1 with 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour; bowl 2 with 3 eggs whisked with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water until homogeneous; bowl 3 with either 2 cups (220 g) plain fine breadcrumbs for the traditional version or 2 cups (220 g) panko breadcrumbs for the Korean version.

Make traditional tomato sauce

1. Heat 40 milliliters extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add 3 thick-cut bacon slices diced into 1/8 inch cubes and render until browned and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add 5 cloves thinly sliced garlic, 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) red pepper flakes (optional); stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add one 28 ounce (794 g) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes and 1/4 cup (60 mL) water, then add a pinch of sugar, salt to taste, and a little fresh cracked black pepper.
5. Increase heat to medium-high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly reduced; remove the thyme.

Make gochujang chicken sauce

1. In a saucepan combine 6 tablespoons (46 g) grated palm sugar, 1/4 cup (60 g) mirin, 1/4 cup (50 g) soy sauce, 5 tablespoons (160 g) brown rice vinegar, 6 tablespoons (104 g) ketchup, and 1/2 cup (160 g) gochujang.
2. Heat over medium-high, stirring often until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and reduce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in 8 cloves finely chopped garlic; let steep for 3 minutes, then pass the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Return strained sauce to a bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons (45 g) honey until thoroughly combined.

Make tomato-gochujang sauce (for Korean parm)

1. In a small saucepan add enough canola oil to coat the bottom and set over medium heat.
2. Add 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic and 2 shallots thinly sliced; season lightly with salt and sweat until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add one 14 ounce (396 g) can crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup (125 mL) water, 1/2 cup (125 mL) gochujang, and 1 tablespoon (15 g) sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high, then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes or until reduced and able to coat a spoon.

Breading and frying

1. Bread each chicken breast by dredging first in flour, shaking off excess, then submerging in the egg mixture to coat all crevices, then pressing into breadcrumbs (plain fine for traditional, panko for Korean) to coat completely.
2. Heat at least 2 inches of frying oil (canola) in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 350 Fahrenheit.
3. Fry the breaded traditional chicken in the oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165 Fahrenheit; remove and drain on a wire rack; season lightly with salt.
4. Fry the breaded Korean chicken for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp and golden brown; transfer to a wire rack for about 30 seconds, then toss immediately in a bowl and coat with the plain gochujang chicken sauce (do not use the tomato sauce for this coating). Repeat for all pieces.

Assemble and finish under broiler

1. Mix 2 1/2 cups (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella and 1/2 cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated, in a bowl until evenly combined.
2. Apply the associated tomato sauce to each piece of chicken (traditional chicken gets the traditional tomato sauce; Korean chicken gets the tomato-gochujang sauce), then top each with a generous layer of the cheese mixture.
3. Place topped chicken under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly browned.