This is called chicken “parmigiana” not because of Parmesan cheese, which is what is classically thought, but because the cutlets resemble window-shutter slats, and that’s what “parmigiana” refers to.
Ingredients:
For the Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground, black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1, 14-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
⅛ teaspoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped, fresh basil
For the Chicken
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved horizontally and pounded ½“ thick
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ounce whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (¼ cup)
1 ounce fontina cheese, shredded (¼ cup)
1 egg
1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus an additional 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon ground, black pepper
2 tablespoons plus 2¼ teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons torn, fresh basil
Preparation:
For the sauce, heat 1½ teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, the oregano and pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar/honey; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Cut the heat, stir in the basil and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
For the chicken, sprinkle each side of each cutlet with ⅛ teaspoon salt and let stand covered at room temperature for 20 minutes. Combine the cheeses in bowl; set aside.
Adjust oven rack under the broiler and heat it up. Whisk the egg and flour together in a shallow dish or pie plate until smooth and evenly mixed with no lumps. Combine the Parmesan, panko, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper in a second, shallow dish or pie plate.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge them in the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat all sides in Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Transfer cutlets to large plate
Heat oil in 12” skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place both cutlets in the skillet and cook without moving them until the bottoms are crispy and deep golden brown, 1½ to 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip the cutlets and cook on the second side until deep golden brown, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer them to paper towel–lined plate.
Once drained of excess oil, place the cutlets on a foil-lined baking sheet and mound the combined cheese mixture evenly over them, covering as much surface area as possible. Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to serving plates and top each cutlet with sauce, to taste.
Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
