Parmo is a classic takeaway dish from Teesside, created by an American army chef who settled in the area after World War II. Essentially a fried breadcrumbed piece of pork or chicken, slathered with ‘bech’ (béchamel sauce) and cheese, it’s not for the faint-hearted – although our version is more waistline-friendly
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
2 large skinless chicken breasts, about 160g each
25g plain flour
2 medium eggs, beaten
125g dried breadcrumbs
sunflower oil, to deep fry and bake with
For the topping
25g butter
25g plain flour
250ml milk
1 bay leaf
grated nutmeg
75g grated cheese (Red Leicester or mature cheddar)
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The bechamel sauce keep for up to three days in the fridge. The breaded chicken can be prepared the day before, or frozen.
Preheat the oven to 240°C, fan 220°C, gas 9, unless you’re going to deep-fry the chicken.
Start by making the béchamel sauce topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour; stir until smooth. Take off the heat; gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick; add nutmeg and season. Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, dampen and press on top of the sauce to stop a skin forming. Set aside.
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, then place between 2 sheets of baking paper and bat out to an even thickness (about 8mm) with a rolling pin.
Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Season the chicken, then dip in flour, egg and crumbs to coat, in turn.
If oven-baking, put the chicken on a greased baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp, flipping after 15 minutes. If deep-frying, heat the oil to 160°C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in the fat. Deep-fry the breaded chicken, two at a time, until cooked through and golden (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking tray or dish.
Preheat the grill to high. Spoon the béchamel sauce over each chicken breast (discard the bay leaf) and top with a handful of cheese. Grill until golden. Serve immediately, with chips and garlic sauce drizzled all over, adding salad, if you like.
In England, parmo is a dish originating in Middlesbrough that typically consists of fried breaded chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese instead of tomato sauce. Parmo originated as escalope parmesan, a derivative of chicken parmigiana.
It consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, usually cheddar. The name is a reference to the American dish chicken parmesan, which is made with tomato sauce and mozzarella, which is itself a derivation of the Italian melanzane alla parmigiana.
Although the parmo's birthplace has been disputed, its origins are widely attributed to post-Second World War in Middlesbrough it believed by many Teessiders to be invented by Nicos Harris, a chef with the United States Army during the second world war .
Parmo is a classic takeaway dish from Teesside, created by an American army chef who settled in the area after World War II. Essentially a fried breadcrumbed piece of pork or chicken, slathered with 'bech' (béchamel sauce) and cheese, it's not for the faint-hearted – although our version is more waistline-friendly.
Despite being a staple of Italian-American cuisine, “chicken parmesan” is nowhere to be found in Italy. Instead, Italians nosh on parmigiana – eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese.
Jokes aside, chicken parm has a long, complicated history argued by many historians for different reasons. Believe it or not, there was not readily accessible chicken in Parma, Italy, so the idea started with thin slices of eggplant covered in Neapolitan tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
But how was the Parmo born? Legend has it that Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough is the birthplace of the dish. In reality it was America where the Parmo was born in the 1930s. The godfather of the Teesside Parmo was Nicos Harris, a chef with the American army in the Second World War.
You can reheat chicken parmesan in a microwave on a microwave safe plate. Another way is in a toaster oven. If you use a toaster oven, put in a container that is safe in a toaster oven. You can reheat chicken parmesan in a frying pan.
The Parmo is really just an escalope parmesan, tweaked for the post-pub fast food market. It's breaded, fried chicken or pork topped with a layer of stiff Béchamel sauce, then cheese, and grilled. Typically it's served with cheddar rather than parmesan on top.
The Chicken Parmo or Teesside Parmesan is a dish that originated in Middlesbrough, Teesside. It is made up of breaded chicken covered with white béchamel sauce and topped with cheddar cheese.
Some believe that it was created in Parma, hence the name.Others believe it comes from a Sicilian word that means slabs on a roof, referring to the thin slices of chicken covered in the sauce.
Chicken parmesan uses boneless skinless chicken breasts that are pounded thin and fried crisp before they're smothered in tomato sauce and topped with cheese. Chicken cacciatore is different. It's more like a hearty stew that's made with bone-in chicken.
Pollo alla parmigiana in Italian, but affectionately referred by Aussies as Parma, Parmi or “a schnitty with tomato sauce and cheese”, you'll love this homemade recipe with extra crispy schnitzel, best ever parmigiana sauce and juicy marinated chicken.
Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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