Parmigiana
Parmigiana (a short form of Parmigiana di melanzane) is a Southern Italian dish made with a shallow-fried sliced filling, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. Parmigiana made with a filling of eggplant (aubergine) is the earliest version. Variations made with breaded meat cutlets, such as veal and chicken, have been popularized in other countries, usually in areas of Italian immigration.
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[edit] History
The dish is claimed by both Campania and Sicily. While "parmigiana" usually means "from Parma" (in Northern Italy), the dish is not part of the cuisine of Parma. It is a Southern Italian dish.
In addition to the original Italian recipe, many variations are found world-wide, most often in countries where large numbers of Italians immigrated. Examples of dishes developed outside of Italy from the early parmigianas include veal (Veal Parmigiana) or chicken breast (Chicken Parmigiana) dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, breaded, shallow-fried and topped with a marinara sauce (red Sicilian tomato sauce) and mozzarella. It is then usually baked until the cheese is bubbly and brown. The veal dish is known in Italian as Cotolette alla Bolognese.[1]
Parmigiana is also used in the names of unrelated dishes which do form part of the cuisine of Parma cuisine, such as trippa alla parmigiana (Parma-style tripe).
[edit] Preparation
The dish consists of a sliced filling pan fried in oil, layered with tomato sauce and cheese, and baked in an oven. In some versions, the sliced filling is first dipped in beaten eggs and dredged in flour or breadcrumbs before frying. Some recipes use hard grated cheeses such as Parmesan, while others use softer melting cheeses like Mozzarella, or a combination of these.
[edit] International variations
In the United States and Canada, veal parmigiana or chicken parmigiana is commonly served as a grinder or a submarine sandwich. It is also popular with a side of or on top of pasta. Diced onions or green bell peppers, sautéed or raw, are sometimes added.
Chicken or veal parmigiana is a staple of Australia (at pubs) and Argentina (at cafes or restaurants) and in both countries often served with a side of french fries or mashed potatoes and salad. In Australia it may also contain a variety of toppings, including sliced ham or fried aubergine slices. This dish is often referred to as a parma or parmi or occasionally on menus as the "Queen of Schnitzels".
In Argentina it is called "Milanesa" (if beef or veal), "de Pollo" (chicken), "de Berenjena" (eggplant) or "de Cerdo" (pork) ending in "a la Napolitana" when served with a slice of ham and topped with a variety of melted cheeses and tomato sauce and/or a slice of tomato; or simplemente Milanesa if served without toppings and garnished with a slice of lemon. Among many other variations are "Milanesa al Roquefort" (with a creamy blue cheese sauce); "Pollo a la Maryland", served with noisette potatoes, peas and sweet creamed corn as side dishes; and "Milanesa a caballo" when topped with a fried sunny-side-up egg.
A similar dish, the Parmo, which uses either pork or chicken, has developed in England.
The Brazilian variation is usually beef, and may often contain vegetables (such as peas) in the topping.
[edit] Name
There are several conflicting theories for the origin of the name parmigiana.
One common theory attributes the name to the use of Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan cheese).[2] For this reason the dish is sometimes called "melanzane alla parmigiana", though "parmigiana di melanzane" is considered more correct.
Another theory attributes the name to an alteration of the Sicilian word parmiciana:
With its liberal use of aubergines and tomatoes, this is most likely an ancient Sicilian dish which, in many cookbooks is erroneously described as deriving its name from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, one of the ingredients. However "parmigiana" is the Italianization of the Sicilian dialectal word "parmiciana", which refers to the slats of wood which compose the central part of a shutter and overlap in the same manner as the slices of aubergine in the dish."[3]
A variant of this theory traces the name to Sicilian "palmigiana", also meaning "shutter", from the way in which the slices are laid.[4]
As with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the word Parmigiana is often rendered as "Parmesan" in English-speaking countries, from the French word for "from Parma."
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[edit] References
- ^ http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefbracioleetc/r/blr0229.htm
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ translated from Anna Pomar, La Cucina tradizionale siciliana
- ^ Mary Taylor-Simeti, Sicilian Food.
[edit] External links
- Veal Parmegiana Recipe
- Eggplant Parmegiana Recipe
- Eggplant Parmesan the way it is done in Catania (Sicily)
- Parma Daze Chicken parmigiana reviews in Melbourne, Australia
- Discover Downunder Parma Rating The team from Discover Downunder travel around Australia in search for the best parma!
- parmi.com.au ratings for South Australia.
