Chicken Parmesan

Pat the 680g pounded chicken cutlets completely dry with paper towels, season both sides with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Set up three shallow dishes in a line: the first holding 80g all-purpose flour mixed with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; the second holding 2 beaten large eggs whisked with 30ml whole milk; the third holding 150g panko breadcrumbs, 30g grated Parmesan, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, stirred to fully combine.

Working one cutlet at a time, dredge fully in the seasoned flour, shaking off all excess to leave a thin, even coat. Dip the floured cutlet fully into the egg mixture, letting excess egg drip off for 2 seconds, then press firmly into the panko-Parmesan mixture on both sides, ensuring every surface is coated with crumbs. Place breaded cutlets on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let rest 10 minutes at room temperature to help the breading adhere during frying.

Heat 60ml extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until the oil reaches 175C/350F (test by dropping a single panko crumb: it should sizzle immediately but not turn black within 5 seconds). Fry cutlets two at a time to avoid crowding the pan (which drops oil temperature and makes breading soggy), cooking 3 minutes per side until the breading is deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer fried cutlets back to the wire rack (do not stack cutlets, as this traps steam and sogs the crust) as you finish each batch.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Spoon 240ml (1 cup) of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish. Arrange the fried chicken cutlets in a single, even layer over the base sauce, then top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of remaining marinara, spreading it lightly (do not cover the entire cutlet surface, to keep breaded edges crispy). Divide the 225g shredded mozzarella and remaining 20g grated Parmesan evenly over the sauced tops of each cutlet.

Place the assembled baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and dotted with light golden brown spots, and the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 75C/165F when measured with a meat thermometer. Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving to let the cheese set.

While the chicken bakes, cook 340g dried spaghetti in heavily salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente (tender with a slight firm bite in the center), then drain. Serve one chicken cutlet per plate alongside a 1-cup portion of spaghetti, topped with any extra warmed marinara, and garnish with fresh whole basil leaves.