Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana

A chicken parmigiana photographed at the Coldstream Brewery, served with french fries and salad.
Alternative names	Pollo alla parmigiana
Place of origin	Italian-American
Main ingredients	chicken breast ,tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan
Cookbook: Chicken parmigiana  Media: Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana, or chicken parmesan (Italian Pollo alla parmigiana) (also referred to colloquially in the United States as 'chicken parm'^[1] and in Australia as a parma^[2] or parmi^[3]) is a popular Italian-American dish.^[4][5] It consists of a breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan or provolone cheese. A slice of ham or bacon is sometimes added,^[6] but not all chefs are in agreement with the addition of pork.^[7] It is based on a combination of the Italian melanzane alla Parmigiana, a dish using breaded eggplant slices instead of chicken, along with costelette Parmigiana (the latter generally served without sauce or cheese in Italy).^[5]

Chicken parmigiana is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches^[8] and pies,^[9][10] and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.^[11]

Popularity

North America

Chicken parmesan in a pan

In the United States and Canada, chicken parmigiana is often served as an entree, and sometimes with a side of or on top of pasta. Many restaurants also offer chicken parm sandwiches, putting chicken parmigiana between two slices of bread.^[12] A recipe for chicken parmigiana was published in The New York Times in 1962.^[13] The New York Public Library has in their collection a menu from New York City Italian restaurant that has been in the same location since 1906 which shows that chicken parmigiana was being offered in 1958.^[14] In the same collection at the New York Public Library, there is a menu from a restaurant on board an ocean liner of the Italian Line that crossed the North Atlantic between North America and Europe and had offered Petti Di Pollo Alla Parmigiana in 1956.^[15] There is a recipe that was published in the 1953 issue of the New York Herald Tribune that used frozen fried chicken patties or fillets along with other pre-processed foods to make a version of the dish at home.^[16]

Australia

The dish is regularly served as a main meal throughout Australia, where it is considered a staple of pub food.^{[17][18][19][20]} Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, although there is some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken.^[21] Its popularity has led to a specialized chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne,^[21] and chicken parmigiana is the subject of reviews on dedicated websites which compare the dish as purchased from various pubs within a region.^{[2][21][22][23]}

Similar dishes

United Kingdom

Parmo is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, England. It typically consists of fried breaded chicken topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese. Parmo originated as escalope Parmesan, a derivative of chicken parmigiana.^[24]

Argentina

In Argentina, a variation of milanesa a la napolitana is made with chicken instead of the usual beef, similar to chicken parmagiana.^[25] It is sometimes topped with ham, bacon, or a fried egg and is usually served with french fries.^[26][27][28]

See also

• Parmigiana (eggplant parmesan)
• List of chicken dishes

References