Parmigiana

Parmigiana is typically veal or chicken breast which is crumbed, deep (or shallow) fried and topped with a red sicilia tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It then can be grilled or baked until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

In Canada and the United States, veal parmigiana or chicken parmigiana is commonly served both as the centerpiece of a meal (often accompanied by linguini) or in sandwiches, especially subs. It generally consists of a fried or baked breaded cutlet, a marinara or spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Green bell peppers (capsicums) or diced onions are sometimes added. The short form is parm rather than parma. "Parmigiana" is often also used to refer to other sandwiches with marinara sauce and cheese, such as eggplant parm, and meatball parm.

Though parmigiana means literally "from Parma" (a city in Italy), the name derives from parmiggiana, a Sicilian recipe made with fried egg-plant, tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Also, in the United States it is common to add grated sharp cheese (either parmesan or romano) as a seasoning the diner can apply at the table to the parmiggiana and (more commonly) the pasta accompanying the dish.

A variation of the chicken parmigiana, known locally as the "Parmo", can be found in the North East of England. This is usually eaten as a late night take away food. The Parmo consists of deep-fried flattened chicken or pork fillet in an egg and breadcrumb batter, smothered in bechamel sauce and topped off with cheddar cheese.

The parmigiana has also become very popular in Australia as a pub dish (often referred to in Melbourne as a parma or a parmi), and can also contain sliced ham, depending on region. A variation on the dish, popular in home cooking but rare in public eateries, includes sliced tomato instead of the sauce.

See also

• Parma
• Parmo

External links

• SuperParma.com ratings for Victoria (Australia).
• parma.com.au ratings for Australia.