No matter how good it is, it can always be better, until it can't. My quest for replicating the perfect chicken parmigiana at home.
So it’s January 15, 2022 and a day or two prior, I was listening to a podcast, not going to tell you which one, but Jim Gaffigan was on the podcast. He mentioned that he did a show in Philadelphia recently and he ate at this place that had the most amazing pasta. I don’t recall the name of the place, and we didn’t go there because they didn’t open until 6:00 PM and we were looking for a late lunch.
You would be surprised how many restaurants in Philadelphia only open for Dinner on a Saturday. This might be due to COVID restrictions, don’t know. I do know that we had to show proof of vaccination and wear masks until seated. All of these restrictions have since been lifted.
We found a place in South Philly that could seat us. The name of the place is Ralph’s. https://ralphsrestaurant.com/ I can’t say enough good things about Ralph’s.
Had the best, or at least in the top 3 best Veal Saltimbocca ever, and don’t get me started on the cannoli. My brain nearly fell out after that cannoli.
It was me, Lea, Tyler, Caroline. I of course had the tortured baby cow, Saltimbocca. This is my next journey. How to make the perfect Saltimbocca. The sauce is critical.
We are here to talk about the chicken parmigiana. After one taste of Ralph's, I knew I had to step up my game. It was the difference between fighting another blue belt at the local dojo and then getting in the ring with George St-Pierre. Or doing your tight 5 at a local comedy open mic, and then following Robin Williams.
While my chicken cutlets are very good, these were crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, flavorfully addicting. I just never expected the layers of such a seemingly simple dish to become so complex.
After some experimentation, this is where I am. And oh yes, I will be experimenting more, but this is damn good.
Ingredients:
1 – 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into 1/8 inch cutlets
3 eggs beaten
Equal parts of Panko Bread Crumbs and Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Grated Romano cheese
About ½ inch of olive oil in the frying pan. Didn’t measure this, but it depends on the size of the frying pan. You want the olive oil to be about ½ inch deep.
Lay the cutlets out on a baking sheet and season them lightly with the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Romano cheese. Let the seasoned cutlets sit for a few minutes. You could cover this with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for ½ hour.
Coat each cutlet with the egg and then the bread crumbs and set aside.
Heat the oil until it is hot but not too hot, you don’t want it smoking. If it starts smoking, you need to shut it down and start over with fresh oil.
Fry the cutlets, about 2 – 3 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and crispy on each side.
Let the fried cutlets rest on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. You will not have greasy saturated paper towels. These cutlets are not going to absorb a lot of oil, they are just going to crisp up.
It’s all in the video.
Now, will I tweak it, you bet, but for now, these chicken cutlets are the bomb. At the end of the video, listen to when I cut into the cutlet. You can hear the crunch. Also you can hear the crunch when bite it.
This is the original "Butter Chicken Post" - we still do this.
Kiss yourself for making deliciousness.
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