Parmo or Parmesan, a food dish originating in Middlesbrough, is popular in the North East of England, North Yorkshire and especially in the Teesside area, Hartlepool and Darlington. It typically consists of deep-fried chicken in bread crumbs topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese. Variations use pork or, less commonly, a vegetarian main component.
Contents |
The Parmo originated as escalope Parmesan, a derivative of veal or chicken Parmigiana, a dish found in several areas where Italian immigrants have settled. The parmo is said to have been created by Nicos Harris, a chef with the American army in World War II. He was wounded in France, but was brought to the United Kingdom to be treated in a British hospital. Eventually, he moved to Middlesbrough and opened a restaurant on Linthorpe Road, where he created the parmo at The American Grill in 1958. His son-in-law, Caramello, still lives in Teesside and continues the family tradition.[1]
Chicken or pork fillets are flattened, then dipped in egg and then bread crumbs, after which it is deep-fried. Onto this is poured a thick, white sauce (similar to béchamel sauce, but butter may be partially or wholly replaced by other fats) and then it is topped with grated cheese. The cheese is usually a hard cheese such as cheddar, rather than the Parmesan cheese, that originally gave the dish its name. The dish is then grilled or baked to melt the cheese.
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of outlets preparing the parmo with reformed chicken rather than solid fillet.
A parmo is often accompanied by chips with a salad, usually consisting of shredded cabbage, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion. Garlic sauce is a popular accompaniment on Teesside.
The parmo is generally available in two sizes, and terminology varies between outlets:
Originally, veal was used, but was later replaced by pork. In more recent times, chicken became more popular as more Muslim-owned takeaway restaurants opened. Fish and vegetarian parmos are also offered in certain restaurants.
Parmos are also offered with additional toppings in combinations that vary from restaurant to restaurant. For example:
Due to its size, a full parmo is usually served in a pizza box along with its accompaniments, although a large round polystyrene tray is also common.
In 2009, supermarket chain Asda started selling parmos in their shops in Teesside. They claimed they were selling 6,000 chicken parmos a week, making them at the time the shop's fastest selling line. Asda later expanded this line to branches outside Teesside.[3][4]
In 2007, North Yorkshire Trading Standards conducted a survey of 25 fast food dishes. A large parmo with chips and salad contains about 2600 calories and 150g of fat.[5]