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