Tuesday, April 16, 2013

light chicken parmesan

Last night we tried Everyday Food Light’s Light Chicken Parmesan. I’m pretty sure most of us have tried our hand at a homemade chicken parmesan (typical duinner to impress in the college days, anyone?). I know for me it was my first experience shallow frying resulting in a burnt exterior and undercooked interior. It’s certainly one of those dinners that can be prone to fails. Because it’s a plain chicken breast, there is the threat of completely drying it out as well. But when it’s done right, it’s so good. If you follow this recipe I’m thinking you’ll be successful (and your waistline will definitely thank you).

The technique behind this chicken parmesan is to use a flour, egg white and roughly blitzed whole wheat bread crumbs as coating. Then the chicken is baked in the oven in place of frying. Very similar technique to this Oven Fried Chicken recipe from a few months ago. I know it sounds strange to use whole wheat bread as a coating, but in both the Oven Fried and Chicken Parm the results are (in my view) just as delicious, only a slightly different experience. You can feel good knowing you slashed a load of calories and at least half the fat. Both recipes use clever tricks to avoid the breading from becoming a soggy mess (which is a risk if you don’t follow the recipe). Oven Fried Chicken requires a wire rack placed on your baking sheet to elevate the meat so it cooks evenly all the way around. The Chicken Parmesan instructs you to bread only one side of the meat preventing the soggy bottom.

Overall totally delicious, moist chicken with great flavour. My only issue with this recipe is the homemade marinara sauce. It was bland and watery no matter how long it simmered (needed at least a tablespoon of tomato paste). It's a good idea to use a jar of your favourite tomato sauce for better results.

No comments: