Jump to content

Parmo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nullspace industries (talk | contribs) at 12:42, 3 February 2021 (Copyedit (minor)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Parmesan, chicken parmo/Parmesan or Tees parmo[1], is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, and found throughout urban northern England. It consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, commonly cheddar cheese.[2]

In an April 2019 survey, parmo ranked 20th in Britain's Top 20 Favourite Takeaways.[3]

History

Origins

Parmo is said to have been created by Nicos Harris, a chef with the United States Army in World War II. He was wounded in France, but was brought to the United Kingdom to be treated in a British hospital. Eventually, he moved to Middlesbrough and opened a restaurant, The American Grill, on Linthorpe Road, where he created parmo in 1958. His son-in-law, Caramello, still lived in Teesside as of 2014, continuing the family tradition.[2]

Supermarket sales

In 2009, supermarket chain Asda started selling parmo in their shops around the river Tees. They claimed they were selling 6,000 chicken parmos a week, making them at the time the shop's fastest-selling line. Asda later expanded this line to branches outside Teesside.[4][5]

Variations

A "meat feast" parmo from Stockton on Tees

Common parmo variants include additional toppings and preparations of the meat. These include:[citation needed]

  • Parmo hotshot - a spicy version topped with cheese, pepperoni, peppers, garlic butter and chilli
  • Parmo Kiev - topped with cheese, garlic butter and mushrooms
  • Parmo Italia - topped with cheese, garlic butter and ham, with a further topping of mozzarella cheese
  • Meat feast parmo - topped with pepperoni, chicken and ham
  • Parmo Zeno - topped with cheese and onions

Nutritional information

In 2007, North Yorkshire Trading Standards conducted a survey of 25 fast food dishes. A large parmo with chips and salad they tested contained about 2,600 calories and 150g of fat.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "BBC - Tees Parmo! - Teesside Parmesan recipe". Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Teesside's fast food sensation". BBC. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  3. ^ Starkey, Adam (6 April 2019). "Chinese wins Britain's Favourite Takeaway and the nation is divided once again". Metro. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Parmos flying off store shelves". BBC News. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  5. ^ Hancox, Dan (9 October 2009). "The 'parmo' goes national". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  6. ^ Hudson, Jeff (June 2007). "A project to ascertain the energy, fat and salt levels, in a selection of takeaway ready meals obtained from outlets in North Yorkshire". North Yorkshire County Council Trading Standards Service. North Yorkshire County Council. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.