Chicken Fontinella

I’ve been craving Italian food lately and it’s been awhile since I had Chicken Parmesan (or Parmigiana). In order to satisfy my craving, I made this recipe which was adapted from Ina Garten. Without an Parmesan cheese on hand (which is rare), I used Fontinella cheese instead.

Don’t confuse Fontinella cheese with Italian fontina cheese! Fontinella is actually a domestic cheese made by one company, Stella/Suputo Cheese Company. This cheese is a semi-hard cheese that has a tangy flavor, creamy texture and melts well. If you can’t find Fontinella cheese, you’re welcome to substitute it with Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese. Fontinella really lends itself well in this dish because it melts right along with the panko to provide a delicious and beautifully golden crust on the chicken. I served this along with angel hair pasta and a homemade chunky pasta sauce.

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Fontinella, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the panko bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Fontinella cheese. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.