Chicken Parmesan

Method

1. 1Make the sauce. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add finely grated garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and half the basil, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a brief trail; keep the sauce fresh-tasting rather than cooking it into a heavy paste.
2. 2Shape the cutlets. Split each chicken breast horizontally to make four thin pieces, cover them with baking paper, and pound to an even 6 mm thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper, concentrating on the thicker edges so every cutlet cooks at the same rate.
3. 3Build the breading station. Put flour in one shallow dish, beat the eggs in a second, and combine panko with 40 g finely grated Parmesan in a third. Coat each cutlet with flour, shake it firmly, dip it in egg, then press on the crumbs; loose flour creates bald patches when the chicken reaches the oil.
4. 4Set the crust. Place the breaded cutlets on a rack for 10 minutes while the oven grill heats to high. This short rest lets the egg hydrate the crumbs, so the coating stays attached when you turn the chicken.
5. 5Fry the chicken. Heat the remaining olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until a dropped crumb sizzles at once. Fry two cutlets at a time for 2 minutes per side until deep golden, then return them to the rack; do not crowd the pan or the crumbs will absorb oil before they crisp.
6. 6Add sauce and cheese. Transfer the cutlets to a foil-lined tray, spoon only 2 tablespoons of sauce over the center of each, and leave a border of crust exposed. Top with mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan, then grill 8–10 cm from the heat for 3 minutes until the cheese bubbles and freckles brown.
7. 7Finish and serve. Check that the thickest part of the chicken has reached 74°C, then rest the cutlets for 2 minutes. Spoon extra sauce beside, not over, the chicken and scatter on the remaining basil; this last detail keeps the underside crisp through dinner.