Chicken Parmesan
Origin
Chicken parmesan was created in America by Italian immigrants. The original Italian dish was made with eggplant and called mellenzana parmigiana. It is not known exactly why the switch was made from eggplant to chicken, but one theory is that eggplant was not a popular vegetable in America at that time. Other theories are that Italian cooks were catering to an American preference for meat rather than vegetarian dishes, and that Italian immigrants were more able to afford chicken than they had previously been.
There is also some debate about the origin of the name “parmesan” or “parmigiana”. Some claim that the original eggplant dish originated in Parma, Italy and that the name means “in the style of Parma.” Others claim that the name comes from the parmesan cheese often used in the dish along with or in place of mozzarella. The word parmesan is the English name for parmigiana.
Description
Chicken cutlet breaded and fried and then baked with tomato sauce and cheese.
Ingredients
Chicken, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, other herbs and spices, oil for frying, tomato sauce, cheese
