Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana

A chicken parmigiana photographed at the Coldstream Brewery, served with french fries and salad.
Alternative names	Pollo alla parmigiana
Place of origin	Italian-American
Main ingredients	chicken breast, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan
Cookbook: Chicken parmigiana  Media: Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana, or chicken parmesan (Italian Pollo alla parmigiana) (also referred to colloquially in the United States as 'chicken parm'^[1] and in Australia as a parma^[2] or parmi^[3]) is a popular Italian-American dish.^[4][5] It consists of a breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan or provolone cheese. A slice of ham or bacon is sometimes added,^[6] but not all chefs are in agreement with the addition of pork.^[7] It has been speculated that the dish is based on a combination of the Italian melanzane alla Parmigiana, a dish using breaded eggplant slices instead of chicken, along with costelette Parmigiana (the latter generally served without sauce or cheese in Italy).^[5]

Chicken parmigiana is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches^[8] and pies,^[9][10] and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.^[11]

Popularity

North America

Chicken parmesan in a pan

In the United States and Canada, chicken parmigiana is often served as an entree, and sometimes with a side of or on top of pasta. Many restaurants also offer chicken parm sandwiches.^[12] A recipe for chicken parmigiana was published in The New York Times in 1962.^[13] The New York Public Library has in their collection a menu from New York City Italian restaurant that has been in the same location since 1906 which shows that chicken parmigiana was being offered in 1958.^[14] In the same collection at the New York Public Library, there is a menu from a restaurant on board an ocean liner of the Italian Line that crossed the North Atlantic between North America and Europe and had offered Petti Di Pollo Alla Parmigiana in 1956.^[15] There is a recipe that was published in the 1953 issue of the New York Herald Tribune that used frozen fried chicken patties or fillets along with other pre-processed foods to make a version of the dish at home.^[16]

Australia

The dish is regularly served as a main meal throughout Australia, where it is considered a staple of pub food.^{[17][18][19][20]} Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, although there is some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken.^[21] Its popularity has led to a specialized chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne,^[21] and chicken parmigiana is the subject of reviews on dedicated websites which compare the dish as purchased from various pubs within a region.^{[2][21][22][23]}

Similar dishes

Italy

Chicken Pizzaiola in Venice, Italy

Carne pizzaiola is a dish derived from the Neapolitan tradition that features meat, often topped with cheese and cooked with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and white wine. Beef is used most often but it can be made with chicken and pork as well. ^[24]

United Kingdom

Parmo is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, England. It typically consists of fried breaded chicken topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese. Parmo originated as escalope Parmesan, a derivative of chicken parmigiana.^[25]

Argentina

In Argentina, a variation of milanesa a la napolitana is made with chicken instead of the usual beef, similar to chicken parmagiana.^[26] It is sometimes topped with ham, bacon, or a fried egg and is usually served with french fries.^[27][28][29]

See also

• Parmigiana (eggplant parmesan)
• List of chicken dishes

References

External links

• Media related to Chicken parmesan at Wikimedia Commons