Ah, chicken parm, the most ubiquitous of Italian-American favorites. Who doesn’t love this dish? Even when it’s soggy and poorly executed, as it so often is, it’s still delicious. But it’s also usually an allergen bomb, between the eggs, the wheat breadcrumbs for breading, and the mounds of cheese and butter. Enter allergy-friendly chicken parm. Yup, that’s right. Beloved even by my husband, who grew up in the Bronx near Arthur Avenue (the real Little Italy of New York City), and then on Long Island in the same town as that Italian restaurant Billy Joel is always singing about (you know, “bottle of red, bottle of white …”). This is definitely a dish for all ages, so whether you eat it accompanied by a glass of Chianti or a cup of apple juice, buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella
- ¼ cup cornstarch or tapioca starch
- ¾ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons rice milk
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets, ¼ inch thick
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a heavy pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Set aside.
- Pour the cornstarch into a shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the breadcrumbs with some salt and pepper and the oregano in another shallow bowl; set aside. Pour the rice milk into a third shallow bowl. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a creamy emulsion.
- Turn one chicken cutlet in the cornstarch, coating both sides. Lift out, shaking off the extra cornstarch, and dip in the rice milk mixture, then turn in the breadcrumbs to coat. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining 3 cutlets.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium-high heat until just starting to ripple. Add the cutlets and cook for 2 minutes, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, turn the chicken, and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a nonstick baking pan. Spray the tops of the cutlets with a little cooking spray and bake for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce over medium heat. Remove the baking pan from the oven, flip the chicken, and top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Sprinkle the vegan mozzarella evenly over the cutlets, and return to the oven to bake for 8 more minutes, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Serve garnished with a few basil leaves.