Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan

With the crazy cold snap we’ve had here recently I was craving a comforting, cozy meal, and this chicken parmesan hit the spot!! I love the addition of the lemon zest to the breadcrumbs, and it comes through so nicely in the finished dish.

For a dairy-free or vegan version, swap in your fav df/v cheese, flax eggs, and some sliced tofu!!

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts

• 1 cup gluten free bread crumbs (I made my own, pulsing toasted homemade sourdough in a food processor)

• 1/4 cup parmesan/vegan parm

• Zest of one lemon

• ½ cup gluten-free flour blend (I used a 1:1:1 mix of millet, sorghum & tapioca flour with a dash of xanthan gum)

• Sea salt & black pepper

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or your favourite oil for shallow frying)

• Marinara of choice

• Gluten-free pasta of choice

• Mozzarella/vegan cheese

Instructions

1. Combine breadcrumbs, parm of choice, and lemon zest - I pulsed mine in a food processor so it was well combined and nice & fine. Transfer to a wide shallow bowl (part of your future breading station).

2. Slice your chicken in half horizontally so you have four thin pieces.

3. Place one piece between plastic wrap and pound thin, then repeat with remaining pieces

4. Add your flour, salt & pepper to a wide shallow bowl

5. In a third wide shallow bowl, add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Pro tip: a pinch of salt helps to loosen the proteins in the egg and helps them whisk even smoother.

6. Add you oil to a large deep skillet over medium. And prepare 2 sheet trays with a wire rack on top.

7. Take one piece of chicken, and dredge in the flour, making sure to cast well, but shake off extra.

8. Dunk into the egg mixture next and coat well, letting excess drip off before dredging in the bread crumb mixture. Tip: press them firmly to get more to stick.

9. Transfer to one rack, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

10. After oil/pan is hot, add a couple of chicken pieces in the pan (do not overcrowd or they will steam instead of fry)

11. Cook about 5 minutes, then flip and cook a further 5’ish minutes. Chicken will be golden brown, and should have an internal temp of at least 165F to be cooked through.

12. Transfer to the clean racked tray, and pop in your preheated oven to keep your breaded chicken warm, while you fry the remaining pieces.

13. When you’re on your last few pieces of chicken, get a pot of water boiling and boil your pasta. Set up another pot with your sauce of choice, and heat to a low simmer.

14. Serving: plate pasta, then a piece of chicken, some sauce, and then some cheese. If your chicken & sauce is hot enough it may melt your cheese - or you can quickly pop it in the oven on broil to get the cheese to melt.

15. Dig in & enjoy!!

16. To reheat leftovers, store components separate, then reheat chicken in a pan for best results.