Because I’m a food professional, what I order to eat in restaurants always seems to surprise those who are at the same table, especially when out for Italian food. Even Jon, my husband, shakes his head when he hears me say to the waiter (yet again) “I’ll have veal (or chicken or eggplant) parmesan, please.” Actually, when we go to a “new” trendy place, I search the menu, hoping to find something that’s familiar and that, in my heart, I think I will find comforting.

To me, trendy, “over-stuffed with descriptive ingredient” dishes are usually either hokey, pretentious and/or are all about stroking the chef’s ego and padding his or her wallet.  And, let’s face it, with the economy the way it is, since we go out a lot less, I’ve become much less flippant when it comes to the restaurants we trust with the quality of our evening and also with the foods I order…I’m not looking for surprises (certainly not for trouble), and simply want to be happy eating and enjoying time with my family and friends.

What most don’t know about food professionals…(and, please correct me if I’m wrong in your case), is that we go out to eat mostly for the once-in-a-while chance to have someone cook for us. Yes, we like to experience newly opened restaurants, but when it comes to speaking the words “I’ll have…” rarely do we seek “fru-fru” foods. (Actually, that’s a nice way of tagging dishes that I usually describe as “stupid food”…you know, things like (no joke) ” foie gras crème brûlée or rose and black pepper ice cream.” )

For me, gimme anything “alla parmesan” (ok, alla Parmigiano” –I can here Anna Teresa Callen, a friend and teaching colleague, grimacing as yet another “silly American” has the nerve to mislabel a native Italian dish–which, by the way, although the American version is not truly authentic, it tastes MUCH better (when made well), the American way–at least to Americans).

Anyway, regardless of how you spell it, a crispy, pan-fried veal cutlet topped generously with garlicky, basil and chili pepper laced marinara sauce and then totally doused in shredded cheese and baked until bubbling, has always been one of my favorite dishes to eat. And, it’s no surprise that, like most of the greatest comfort foods, the best versions can be made at home.

So, because I trust that I’m not alone in my adoration for “anything Parm”… I’d like to share with you this, the most famous type, which is that made with veal. (I’ll give brief instructions for chicken, eggplant, shrimp and even a gorgeous stacked grilled vegetable variation at the end.)

OK, first you need veal cutlets. (By the way, anyone that’s reading this who lives within a sane distance to Arthur Avenue, in the Bronx, New York, I absolutely recommend that you go there (for so many reasons) and especially for the butcher shop Biancardi’s, which is right on the avenue (you can’t miss it…)

Anyway, here’s what I get, per person…

a pounded veal cutlet

One of the best parts of home cooking is being able to really make a dish look voluptuous. So, for me, I like to start with a large slice of veal (from the leg) and then have the butcher pound it out nice and thin, which is what tenderizes it.

Then, when ready to bread the cutlets, you need to set up correctly…like this:

First is the seasoned flour, then the beaten eggs and next comes the breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese

You also want to have a tray (a baking sheet) lined with wax paper to receive the cutlets after breading them. If doing several cutlets, you’ll need more than one tray because the cutlets need to be placed in a single layer. You can also separate the layers of cutlets with sheets of wax paper.

First you dredge (lightly coat) the cutlets in the seasoned flour (after coating completely, shake any excess flour off). Then, dip in the eggs, turning to coat completely. Then lay the wet cutlet in the crumbs and coat well on both side (press the crumbs in so the cutlets are heavily coated). When done, the cutlet should be evenly (and heavily) coated with crumbs.

About the amounts (per 2 large cutlets): Season about 2/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour with salt and pepper. Beat 2 eggs in a long dish, like the Pyrex one featured in the photo. Mix 1 1/2 cups of each dried breadcrumbs (preferably ones you’ve made yourself and have in the freezer–click here for the printable recipe) and freshly grated, best-quality Parmesan cheese (I use Reggiano-Parmigiano which is, by far, one of the greatest gifts to the world of cheese-dom). If you have any of the crumb-cheese mixture leftover,  you can freeze it and use it again, either to top baked artichokes or to coat the next batch of cutlets.

Here’s what the cutlets look like after breading…

See, I told you they were large...This is how a sexy dish is built!

Although not mandatory, it’s a good idea to chill the breaded cutlets for a while so that the crumbs have an easier time adhering. An hour or so is all that’s needed but you can also do this a day ahead and keep them chilled, covered with plastic wrap.

When ready to pan-fry, you’ll need to heat a large non-stick skillet with a shallow, but even, layer of olive oil (use either extra-virgin or the lighter, virgin olive oil). While the oil is heating, lay some doubled paper towels on your work surface, preferably close to the stove. (If this isn’t possible, line a large tray with paper towels so you can bring the tray to the stove to retrieve your cooked cutlets. I often will crush a clove or two of garlic and saute that in the oil, allowing it to become golden (pressing gently) which helps to flavor the oil.

When the garlic is golden, remove it (and save it for yourself to eat!) …then add a knob of butter to the pan, swirling it as it melts and incoprorates with the oil.  When the butter is bubbling, but not brown, carefully easy a breaded cutlet into the oil. (The size of your cutlets as well as the size of your pan will determine how many cutlets you will be able to cook at one time. Most important is that they be able to sit in the hot oil, in a single layer, with no overlap. And make sure you don’t use a pan that’s so large that it exceeds the burner below it by so much that your cutlets won’t brown evenly.)

Here's a cutlet cooking on the first side.

Fry the cutlet over high heat and if, while cooking, you see any portion of the cutlet puffing upward, use your turning spatula to gently tamp the raised portion down. Doing this prevents uneven browning.

This is what the first side looks like after turning the cutlet over.

To safely remove the cutlet from the hot oil, I recommend using two large, off-set (and perforated) turning spatulas (like the one used to tamp down the cutlet while frying). When ready to remove the cooked cutlet, slide one spatula underneath the cutlet (with your working hand) and then, while holding the other spatula in your non-working hand, position it on top of the cutlet (from the other side) and lift with the working hand (which will carry the cutlet) and the other hand will help secure the cutlet in place. (To see a video that explains the best, safest way to lift large pan-fried foods out of hot oil, click here.) Lay the cooked cutlet(s) on the paper towels, to drain.

If needed, use a bit more paper towel to blot any excess oil from the top of the cutlets. Continue to fry and drain the remaining cutlets. If, at any time during the frying process (when in between batches) if the oil seems overly dark from any accumulation of crumbs, turn off the stove, let the oil cool down and pour it (carefully) into a heatproof bowl. Wipe out the skillet and add a fresh layer of olive oil. Continue as described above.

Now it’s time to assemble the dish. Here’s how…

First place the drained cutlets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You’ll need shredded cheese. I shred (yikes, don’t kill me) blocks of muenster cheese, using the shredding disc on my food processor. Sometimes I’ll also shred some Italian Fontina and mix in some low-moisture mozzarella cheese but I think I like muenster the best because of it’s mellow flavor and buttery (gooey) texture (again, a very sexy choice, for this dish…) You’ll also need a generous amount of marinara sauce (I not only top the cutlets with the sauce but I also like to have extra that I heat up and serve in case someone at the table wants more.)

Pan-fried cutlets, marinara sauce, shredded cheese

So, first you top the cutlets with sauce… To see a video that will teach you three different (all fabulous) versions of marinara sauce, depending on seasonal availability and/or your time constraints, click here.

Use a generous amount of sauce...

And now comes the cheese…Yup, be generous (that’s what home-cooking is all about!)

Are you hungry yet??

All there is left to do is sprinkle on some more grated Reggiano-Parmigiano…then bake way in a preheated 375F oven!

(Oh…you can let the assembled cutlets (before baking) sit out at a comfortable room temperature for an hour or so. You can also cover the cutlets and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let sit out of the refrigerator for a while before baking or adjust (lengthen) the baking time.

Oh, baby...Aren't you glad you ate home?

This is how veal parmesan should look when it leaves the oven…(takes 30 to 35 minutes in my oven at 375F. (I use the convection setting.)

Ok, now, about those variatons:

For chicken parmesan: You’ll get two servings from one large whole chicken breast, which will yield two chicken cutlets. Ask the butcher to skin, bone and butterfly each breast half. (I’ll teach you how, but this isn’t the right blog.) He or she (the butcher) should then flatten each breast half so the meat is of an even thickness. Follow the same instructions for veal parmesan.

For eggplant parmesan (there’s no picture yet, it’s coming…): Take a large eggplant and rinse and dry it well. Slice off the stem end and slice each eggplant, lengthwise, into 1/2-inch slices. You now have two choices: Bread the eggplant slices like  you would veal or chicken (allowing one slice of eggplant per serving) or, you can, after slicing, brush each slice with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic and chopped flat-leaf, Italian parsley (no formal recipe amounts here, just do what comes naturally). You would then grill the slices (outdoors, over high heat or on a stove-top grill pan), first sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (shift the position of each slice once, on each side, while cooking, to create a cross-hatch pattern, and turn the slices over only once). If grilled, you’ll allow two slices per each serving, spreading a bit of sauce in between each, before applying a more generous application of sauce and then the cheese. Bake as you would veal or chicken.

For shrimp parmesan:

Allow 6 to 8 jumbo shrimp per person.

It’s easy to remove the shell and intestinal vein from each shrimp. Just run the blade of a thin, sharp serrated knife into the outer curved portion of each shrimp. Pull off the shell (for this dish I like to keep the tails on, but you can pull them off, if you want). The incision made to sever the shell should also expose the greenish-black intestinal vein. Rinse the shrimp under cold water to remove it. (You can also have the fish monger do this for you.)

To butterfly shrimp: (My preference, for this dish, since it helps the shrimp to curl nicely when cooking in the hot sauce). Simply drive the blade of the knife a bit deeper into the original incision to remove the shell. You can easily do this when making your first cut; just go deeper and pull off the shell, rinse and you’re good to go.

To set up to cook: Preheat the broiler while you heat your marinara sauce, over medium heat, until piping hot. Then fold the raw, butterflied shrimp into the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cook the shrimp, over low heat, until just cooked (only takes about 3 or 4  minutes, once really hot!). Then remove from the stove. Place some shrimp and sauce (be generous with the sauce) in individual heat-poof dishes and top with cheese. (If you don’t have individual dishes, use an oven to table baking dish. Either way, once the cheese is applied, finish things up under a preheated broiler until the cheese is melted, gooey and looks like this….

Shrimp Parmesan...or Shrimp Parmigiano (tastes great, whatever you call it!)

Mama mia… I’m hungry all over again!

Now, here’s a “stacked” grilled vegetable variation that’s really elegant yet earthy and makes a fabulous (and substantial) main-dish (and not just for vegetarians!)

Vegetables needed per each person: You’ll need one large portobello mushroom, wiped clean and the stem removed, 1 slice of eggplant (1/2-inch thick) (choose an eggplant that has a similar circumference to the mushroom, 1 half of a roasted, peeled and seeded bell pepper.

About the sauce: Use the same marinara sauce that’s in all of the above variations. Have extra to serve on the side with dinner.

Cheese: Same cheese as in all the above variations.

You’ll season all the vegetables the same, here’s how: Mix a generous batch of extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red chili flakes (to taste) and freshly ground black pepper. You can add some minced flat-leaf Italian parsely, but this is optional. Brush this all over both sides of each (the mushrooms, sliced eggplant and  roasted peppers.  Use some of the remaining olive oil mixture to baste on the vegetables while grilling and any leftovers can be placed in the fridge to use during the week (or, better yet, use it to slather on sliced crusty bread and grill it or broil until golden on both sides–makes a great accompaniment to the dish!).

Now, simply season the vegetables with kosher salt and grill either outdoors or inside, on a stove-top grill pan (If doing this indoors, get the pan nice and hot and have your exhaust fan turned on). Here, take a look:

Mushrooms and peppers grilling side by side.

When grilling the mushrooms, once you’ve gotten nice grill marks on the cap side, turn and grill, gills side down, until tender. Baste with some of the reserved olive oil mixture, as needed. Since the peppers are already roasted, thus tender, just grill them enough to get a bit of char on them, turning once. When these vegetables are done, transfer them to the same dish used after seasoning them and move on to grill the eggplant, turning once, until nice and tender.

To assemble the dish, first you’ll set up by having everything needed close by (the sauce, shredded cheese and, of course, the grilled vegetables:

Here are all the vegetables after grilling.

About the dish: a shallow baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil and then a sheet of parchment (placed over the foil).

Now place a spoonful of the sauce on the parchment, where you will be placing your grilled mushroom cap. Then place the mushroom over the sauce, cap side down and gill side up. Spoon some of the sauce over each mushroom and then start stacking the vegetables on top. Take a look…

The grilled mushrooms get a nice spoonful of sauce over the gill side...

And, the eggplant goes over the sauce...

Now spoon a bit more sauce on top of the eggplant and then…

After a little sauce, the peppers go on top of the grilled eggplant...

Now give the top of the peppers some more sauce and then….finally….THE CHEESE!

Can't you just tell this is going to be totally delish?

Now, all you do is bake in a preheated 375F oven until it looks amazing (30 to 35 minutes in a preheated oven).

Here’s dinner tonight…

Oh, it's SO good!

Ok, I’ve done my thing. Now it’s your turn to do yours. (I’m here…and just an email away!)

Tags: bread crumbs, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan, food, homemade marinara, how to cook chicken parmesan, how to cook eggplant parmesan, how to cook shrimp parmesan, how to cook veal parmesan, how to make veal parmesan, recipe, shrimp parmesan, veal parm, veal parmesan

Comments (1)

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1. I made the veggie parmesan and it was SO delicious. My sister has since called for the receipe! I plan on making it again soon!!

   Comment by Annie — July 14, 2009 @ 1:34 pm

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