Classic Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan with 2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling: 5/5

2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling: 89/100

Growing up, my family ate a lot of chicken—grilled chicken breasts, creamed chicken and biscuits, chicken parmesan, roasted chicken, the list goes on. By the time I was twelve my dad was not shy about letting my mom know his feelings about having “chicken again”. With my dad apparently out of the house this past Tuesday, my mom adamantly claimed to me on the phone, “I’m making chicken parmesan.” Personally, I love chicken. You can grill it, fry it, boil it, bake it, mince it, shred it, even can it, and it will still taste good. So it was only natural that I would make chicken parmesan for Project Runway night.

Now, how many times have you gotten off of work, tired and hungry, and grabbed a jar of Prego or Ragu, and boiled some pasta to make pasta marinara? Up until last night, I thought making pasta sauce was some sort of full day event. Thoughts of old Italian women dressed in floor length dresses with flowing blouses, standing over huge pots, stirring all day, creating the perfect sauce. Well that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it always struck me as something hard. It’s not. Here is a recipe for a fail safe marinara sauce: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Marinara-Sauce-Yet/Detail.aspx If you like your sauce a little chunky, don’t purée everything together. To mine I added a chopped hot house tomato to the mix, adding some freshness and texture. You don’t have to use fresh parsley, but the flavor will be a bit more vibrant if you do. I’m telling you, you can make this sauce in the time it takes your water to boil and your pasta to cook.

Just like frying some bacon, pan fried chicken parmesan can get a little messy, but it’s well worth it. You can do a baked version if you don’t want to splatter oil all over your stove, but personally, I think pan fried takes on an extra crispiness that the oven just doesn’t provide. Start by slicing 2-3 boneless chicken breasts in half. If you’d like, you can flatten the halved chicken breasts by pounding, but it’s not necessary. Coat the halved chicken breasts with flour, then dip them into a bowl with 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of milk that has been whisked together. After the egg bath, dip them into a bowl of panko (or bread crumbs), dried basil, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan. Heat an oil coated skillet over a medium-high flame, and fry the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.

With the entire kitchen smelling of frying chicken, and simmering marinara, I waited for the chicken to finish, and then it was time to eat. Preparing everything took under an hour, not to bad for restaurant quality chicken parmesan. Topping Michael and I’s meal with some freshly grated parmesan, and slicing some fresh wheat baguette, we both sat with a sigh of relief for some relaxation.

As far as wine goes, chicken parmesan is one of those chameleon meals. Usually with a red sauce you would want to pair it with a red wine. But if it were just chicken, you would want white. It really depends on your mood. A Pinot Noir would bring out the vibrancy of the garlic and sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce, while a chardonnay would add a crispness and bright quality to the meal. I just happened to still have a bottle of 2008 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling in the fridge, so I decided that would work just fine.

With a golden hue, and a vibrant aroma of delicate apple blossoms and pear, I swirled the Chardonnay Riesling, anticipating another great wine. Resting on my palate with a fruity flavor, and semi-sweetness from the Riesling, the wine left a lingering mineral finish, indicative of the Dr. Frank’s winery. Structured with the body of a Chardonnay I knew the wine would be able to stand up to the red sauce, and bring out the flavors of the chicken.

Piercing the crispy golden exterior of my chicken breast, I wasted no time scooping up some pasta and sauce, creating the perfect first bite. With the crunch from the panko, the sweetness of the tomatoes, and the bite from the parmesan, I was transported to that authentic italian restaurant my family used to frequent growing up in Rockford— the smell of garlic and wine lingering in the air, and the taste of marinara in my mouth.

Following the first bite with another drink of wine, the tomatoes took on an extra sweetness, while my palate was cleansed with the minerality in the wine. The fruitiness in the Chardonnay Riesling was not too sweet, nor the chicken to fatty, so both flavor profiles intertwined in my mouth creating a delicate dance.

Sopping up the rest of my sauce with my baguette, I was left with a pristinely clean plate. Finishing just in time for my phone to buzz with a text from Zack, I went back to the kitchen to fry up some fresh chicken. Zack was entertaining two visitors from France, and I thought it would be great to provide a home-cooked meal for two travelers. Both were surprised, and ecstatic about the meal, and I tried to stay humble about my excitement.

Unfortunately there was no new project runway yesterday, but with the French visitors, we decided that Julie and Julia would be a fitting movie to watch. Another Perfect Pair.