For “Chicken Parma”, you top a roasted or fried chicken breast with tomato sauce (no, not ketchup), then Mozzarella and/or Parmesan (or Pecorino) and bake till the cheese is melted and golden. Parmigiana alla melanzane has nothing to do with chicken. Try mixing it up.

Ingredients

4 filleted chicken breasts, sliced through the middle as when butterflying them, so you are left with two skinny chicken fillets per breast

500 ml home made tomato sauce (recipe described below)

1 medium onion

1 x 410 g tin chopped Italian tomatoes

1 x 115 g tub or sachet tomato purée

4 cloves garlic

4 thyme sprigs

4 oregano sprigs

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 or 3 brinjals (aubergines) depending on size

200 g grated Mozzarella

Finely grated Parmesan

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Basil leaves for garnish

Method

To make the tomato sauce, sauté the chopped onion and 2 of the chopped garlic cloves in olive oil until translucent, add the tomato puree and braise for two minutes, stirring, then add the can of chopped tomatoes and red wine vinegar with the fresh herbs. Seas0n to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for half an hour for the flavours to develop. Be careful that it doesn’t catch or reduce too much. If it does, add a little water and reduce further.

Fry the brinjal slices gently in olive oil with the remaining 2 garlic cloves and a little salt and pepper until just tender.

Fry lightly salted chicken breast slices in olive oil on a gentle heat until just cooked (they will cook further in the oven).

Lay chicken slices in an oven pan, top each with brinjal slices, top with grated mozzarella. Bake in a 200℃ oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden.

Serve with a grating of Parmesan and ripped basil leaves. DM/TGIFood

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