Neopolitan chicken escalopes.

The idea of mixing pasta sauce and any thing bread crumbed hadn't actually crossed my young impressionable mind till a few years ago. I was in London visiting my sister when we stopped into a small place called Mario's cafe in Kentish ran by, surprisingly, a man called Mario. It was there where I found the taste of pasta sauce goes rather well with the slight crunch of bread crumbed food. Anyway from time to time the unicorns and moonbeams that usually inhabit my head get pushed aside to consider how to make food, well usually the unicorn song is still playing. A few things that need to be mentioned before getting down to the nitty gritty.
1) I used Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, it means "bread child" I think) cheap here but obviously a little more pricey overseas, you can swap panko for a few slices of normal bread put in the oven at a low temperature until they begin to crisp (about 5-15 mInutes).


2) I've used a small 250 g tin of tomato sauce with added onion and garlic. To save time and energy you can just use a jar of good quality pre made pasta sauce.

3) I have a camera and aren't afraid to use it. So blurry pictures are to follow.

Ingredients

7 tbs (tablespoons) of plain veg table oil with more on stand by.
2 chicken breasts
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
1 tbs dried parsley
1/2 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tbs dried basil
1 teaspoon (tsp) garlic powder
1/2 tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


4 tbs of flour - put into a large bowl mixed with some salt and pepper
1 egg - beaten in a bowl


Sauce
One 250 g jar/tin of tomato sauce/ chopped tomatoes

one onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed/finely chopped
1 tbs of tomato ketchup
1 tbs of sugar

2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 tbs mixed dried herbs (Parsely, oregano and basil)


optional! a quarter glass of red wine and some chopped mushrooms.

1 cup of Cheese ( I used pre shreded normal cheese)


First remove the skin and fat from the chicken, wash it thoroughly. Put the chicken between two sheets of grease proof paper and lightly hammer (is hammer the correct word?or should that be pummel/pound smash?) with a rolling pin; start from the middle of the chicken and work your way outwards to make sure its nice and even. It doesn't have to be too thin just enough to help it cook evenly. Next make up four bowls/large plates in a line; the first with the flour, the second with the beaten egg, the third with the Panko, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil, lemon juice, garlic powder and a small dash of salt and pepper mixed together. The fourth left empty to put the chicken on.

First roll the chicken around in the flour until its well covered. Next take the top tip (or tip top) and the bottom of the chicken and dip it in the egg mixture, I find a nice rolling motion covers one side quite well then flick it over to complete the other. Next put the chicken onto the panko bowl/plate and gently roll while pressing down, turning the chicken over so that both sides are well covered. Finally place the chicken on the empty plate.
Repeat with the other breast, press any remaining bread mixture onto the 2 chicken breasts. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.


While the chicken is cooling its heels in the fridge start on the sauce. Finely chop the onion and garlic, melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion turns clear. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, mixed herbs and ketchup (and the optional wine). Bring to the boil then reduce down to a low simmer cover and leave.
Take the chicken out the fridge. First heat the oven to 200 degree C. Next in a large skillet ( I think I'm old enough now not to call it a frying pan) heat 7 tbs of oil over a medium/high heat. Add the chicken breast, tilting the pan around so that the oil is evenly distributed around the chicken. Fry for about 5/8 minutes until one side is brown, turn the chicken over and cook the other side, at this point you may need to add more oil if the chicken has soaked it up, another 3 or 4 tbs should do it. (see picture left) When the chicken is browned on both sides remove from heat. place the chicken on some baking parchment, top each with a hand full of the cheese and then the sauce, oh and you could try mozzarella cheese.

Place in the heated oven for 20 -25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted.
Serve with a nice mixed leaf salad (we like to add a nice sharp salad dressing) and a good helping of pasta.