How I won over my daughter’s ‘picky eater’ love interest with Boyfriend Chicken Parm
Life is What Happens
By Lisa Zaslow Segelman
I write this column so I’m obviously a foodie. I wasn’t always called that, but I’ve been interested in cooking and baking since I was a kid. I would hunt and gather recipes, peruse cookbooks, cook ethnic favorites with Mom and Grandmom in tow, and ask my mom to join me in making odd things like fondant; the icing used to decorate or sculpt cakes. We made the icing but never got to the cake.
While as a cook I have the utmost respect for food allergies and people’s likes and dislikes, especially when they’re my guests, no one in my family has food allergies, and no one in my family is a picky eater. The five of us like quality, quantity, interesting foods and enjoy trying new dishes. So imagine my surprise when my daughter said she was bringing her new boyfriend, whom I’d only met once, to our home in Ventnor for the first time. My initial question for any guest, but especially a new boyfriend is always, “what should I make?”
“Oh well, he’s a picky eater,” said my 28-year-old daughter, Talia, as nonchalantly as if she was telling me that his favorite color was blue.
“Picky eater?” I asked. These two words were as far from music to my ears as anything could be. My heart sank as visions of plain, maybe grilled chicken danced in my head.
What doesn’t he eat?” I asked, clearly disappointed.
“Oh, he doesn’t eat any fish like his father and grandfather before him, no Randalls Seafood, no mushrooms, no vinegary dressings.” So my Balsamic Vinaigrette is not happening nor is my Mushroom-Swiss Spinach Frittata.
My dating daughters talk a lot about “red flags” and “green flags” when it comes to the qualities of the guys in their life. This daughter seemed so enamored with said new boyfriend that his anti-seafood, anti-mushroom outlook on life was something that she not only seemed willing to tolerate, but totally embrace. The mom – me – not so much.
“But he likes Chicken Parm,” she said, Chicken Parm being the affectionate name for Chicken Parmigiana.
I immediately brightened. “Well, that’s not so bad,” I thought. It’s basic but not plain. I knew about “Marry Me Chicken,” a TikTok chicken dish with a creamy tomato sauce that’s so good, it’s said to make someone want to marry you. That was way in the future. For now we had to get through dinner No. 1.
I looked over my recipe and made some changes to create Boyfriend Chicken Parm for picky eaters. The first thing I did was eliminate the teaspoon of red-hot pepper flakes.
In thinking about this dish and I realized that other picky eaters in my life also like chicken parm. They consider it more exotic than plain grilled chicken. And they’re quite vocal about how great it can be.
“I like tender juicy, crisp chicken with marinara sauce,” says my college roommate’s husband, Barry Getzoff. ”Mozzarella cheese is key. The red sauce and white cheese is appealing to the eye.” Spoken like a real food critic.
“I don’t eat toppings or condiments,” says Mike Peoples, a physical therapist at NovaCare, Ventnor, “it overwhelms my palate. I like chicken parm’s simple ingredients – the marinara sauce, chicken and cheese come together in a way that’s hard to beat. “It’s a home run.”
For chicken parm out, Mike likes Michelli’s in Somers Point and Angeline’s at the Borgata.
Chicken Parm is so popular among picky and non-picky eaters, there’s a Facebook group called Jersey Chicken Parm. It has 27,000 members who post the best places in Jersey, and the tri-state area, to enjoy the dish and why, in their humble yet dedicated opinions.
So how did the Boyfriend Chicken Parm work out last Saturday night? I would say it went very well. He loved it. The boyfriend even asked for the recipe!
Boyfriend chicken parm
Serves 12
(There’s enough for the family, the boyfriend, and whoever else wants to meet him).
From Scratch Marinara Sauce
(you can use jarred sauce, but this makes a real difference in the outcome)
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 tsp sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 10 fresh basil leaves (try growing some in your garden/yard)
- 4 dried large bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
Method:
- In a large pot with lid, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, salt, and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for one hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting between additions, to round out the flavors.
- Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
- If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and freeze in smaller containers for a quick meal at another time.
Sauce will freeze up to 6 months
For the Chicken:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups panko, plain, or seasoned breadcrumbs, your choice
- 2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can also use Pecorino-Romano, I like Locatelli), divided
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 12 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cup canola oil for frying
- Chopped basil leaves for serving
Method:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread some olive oil lightly in baking pan or two pans, depending on size.
- Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken on a cutting board or solid surface. Pound to an even ½ inch thickness.
- Create a dredging station made up of three plates or wide bowls: 1) the 4 beaten eggs 2) the 1½ cups of flour 3) the 2 cups of breadcrumbs, plus 1 cup Parmesan. Add the garlic powder if desired. (Replenish these three plates of ingredients as needed once you start dredging and frying).
- Season chicken breasts well with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour, set aside.
- Dip a flour-coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to the bread crumb mixture, pressing crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. Let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Heat ½-inch olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches, in the hot oil until golden, about 4 minutes per side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer browned cutlets to a plate temporarily.
- Add a scant layer of sauce to the bottom of the baking pan so the cutlets stay crisp. Extra sauce can be served on the side. Transfer chicken to the baking dish. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Layer each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top.
- Make sure the oven is completely preheated. Bake until cheese is browned, bubbly and chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F. Top each cutlet with fresh basil.
Serve with cooked pasta and a vegetable such as sautéed broccoli or broccoli rabe.
Lisa is an advertising copywriter (think ‘Madmen’ without the men), journalist and columnist. Claim to fame: Lou’s waitress for four teenage summers. For column comments, story ideas, or to get on her “quote list” for future columns: redshoeslzs@gmail.com
