CHICKEN PARMESAN Fried breaded chicken cutlets are good enough on their own, but add some great marinara sauce and a layer of gooey melted cheese? It’s like extra-crispy meat-based pizza Ah, only in America And the best part? Chicken Parm is easy The only slightly irritating part is the breading Standard breading consists of three distinct layers: flour, egg, and bread crumbs Here’s what they’re for • Bread crumbs make up the outermost layer, and they perform two functions First, the many nooks and crannies formed by the crumbs increases the overall surface area of the chicken (see “Fractals, Panko, and Bread-Crumb Coatings,” here) It also serves as an insulator, preventing the chicken from overcooking and drying out Of course, bread crumbs won’t stick without • Eggs They form the adhesive layer, and they’re perfect for the job They start out as a viscous liquid, but as they fry, they form a solid gel, ensuring that the crumbs stay put The eggs, however, would have a hard time sticking to the food without • Flour Like a coating of primer before you add paint, the flour coats the food being breaded and begins to absorb some of its moisture, hydrating and forming a thin layer of sticky, irregularly lumpy gel It’s this gel that the eggs latch on to Chicken Parmesan is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to get the hang of the breading process For me, the most annoying part of breading foods is accidentally breading your fingers as you it All you’ve got to remember in order to prevent this is to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet Like this: Using your right hand (or your left if you are lefthanded), pick up a piece of food and transfer it to the ...that the eggs latch on to Chicken Parmesan is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to get the hang of the breading process For me, the most annoying part of breading foods is accidentally... dry and one hand for wet Like this: Using your right hand (or your left if you are lefthanded), pick up a piece of food and transfer it to the