Baked Parmesan 101
Baked Parmesan 101
- Slicing style: As we mentioned with the eggplant version, be sure meat is sliced thinly. Thinner sliced chicken and veal will ensure doneness without burning the breading. Also, it’s easier to work with.
- Breading matters: As we emphasized in the eggplant tips, don’t be boring with your breading. Breading creates texture, keeps meat juicy and adds to the flavor. Make sure your breadcrumbs are doing their jobs. We recommend breadcrumbs seasoned with Italian herbs and spices and the flakier the better! Bread as follows: dredge in flour, coat with egg and then lightly toss in breadcrumbs.
- Evenly fried: First, aim for a temperature of about 400˚F throughout the cooking process. Try the breadcrumb sizzle test! At home, it’s easiest to shallow-fry in a wide skillet; however, if you’re feeling risky—go for a deep-fried cutlet. Either way, make sure pieces are fried evenly on both sides.
- Keep it crisp: Transfer just-fried cutlets to a paper-towel-lined dish and pat dry with more paper towels to remove excess oil.
Bake or Sauce and Serve
You might want us to weigh in on the great debate of Sauce vs. No Sauce. See, some believe baking with marinara makes crispy, fried cutlets and eggplant rounds too soggy and so they would rather serve it up with sauce last. We prefer it baked with sauce and cheeses, but it’s all up to you. Just remember, a properly fried entrée should stand up to hearty sauces and melty cheeses. What do you think?