The dish originated in the
Italian diaspora in the United States during the early 20th century.[1][4][5][6] It has been speculated that the dish is based on a combination of the Italian
parmigiana di melanzane, a dish using fried
eggplant slices and tomato sauce, with a cotoletta, a breaded veal cutlet generally served without sauce or cheese in Italy.[6]
Chicken parmesan is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches[7] and pies,[8][9] and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.[10]
History
North America
The dish, also known as "chicken parm",[4] originated in the northeast United States from Italian immigrants, and became a popular staple in restaurants serving
Italian-American cuisine by the 1950s.[4][11][12][13] Home versions also grew in popularity. A recipe was published in the 1953 issue of the New York Herald Tribune that used frozen fried chicken patties or fillets along with other processed foods to make a version of the dish at home.[14] A recipe for chicken parmesan was published in The New York Times in 1962.[15]
In the United States and Canada, chicken parmesan is often served as a
main course, and sometimes with a side of, or on top of
pasta. Many restaurants also offer chicken parm sandwiches.[16] Upon arriving in America, Italian immigrants began to take advantage of America's affordable meat market, incorporating chicken into parmigiana.[4][17]
Australia
Chicken parmigiana was known in Australia by the 1950s, and is often called parma, parmi or parmy in modern
Australian parlance; its name varies from region to region.[18][19][20] It was offered in restaurants in
Adelaide as early as 1953.[21] It is regularly served as a main meal throughout Australia, where it is considered a staple of
pub food.[22][23][24][19] In a 2019 interview that was broadcast on
ABC Radio Hobart, food historian Jan O'Connell believes that chicken parmigiana did not become a pub staple until the 1980s; before that time, it was primarily served in restaurants.[25][26]
Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of
chips and
salad, although there is some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken.[27] Its popularity has led to a specialized chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne,[27] and chicken parmigiana is the subject of reviews on dedicated websites which compare the dish as purchased from various pubs within a region.[27][28][29][30]
Asian fusion cooking
In
fusion cuisine, chicken parmesan has been modified to suit Asian taste preferences by the addition of a small amount of
soy sauce (as a salt substitute) to the tomato-based sauce[31][32] and sometimes served with a side of rice or stir-fried noodles. This dish is sometimes marketed in English-speaking areas as chicken katsu parmesan.[33][34] Sometimes, the soy sauce is added instead to the egg wash for the chicken.[35]
Similar dishes
Italy
Aside from the melanzane alla parmigiana, a dish using breaded eggplant slices instead of chicken, there are other similar dishes in Italy that use meat.
A similar dish using veal is known in Italian as cotoletta alla bolognese, which excludes tomato sauce but includes melted Parmesan cheese and prosciutto.[37]Costolette alla parmigiana is another similar veal dish, but in Italy it is generally served without sauce or cheese.[6]
United Kingdom
In England,
parmo is a dish originating in
Middlesbrough that typically consists of fried breaded chicken or pork topped with a white
béchamel sauce and cheese instead of tomato sauce. Parmo originated as escalope parmesan, a derivative of chicken parmigiana.[38]
Hungary
In Hungary, a chicken or pork cutlet breaded with a mix of flour and shredded potatoes, and topped with garlic
sour cream and cheese is called mátrai borzaska (
lit.'scruffy from
Mátra') or borzas for short;[39][40] if the topping is cheese and
mushrooms, it is referred to as óvári (
lit.'from
Óvár').[41]
Argentina
In Argentina, a variation of milanesa a la napolitana is made with chicken instead of the usual beef, similar to chicken parmigiana.[42] It is sometimes topped with ham, bacon, or a fried egg and is usually served with french fries.[43][44][45]
^
abcdClark, Melissa (January 30, 2015).
"Parmigiana Dishes to Warm Weary Souls". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2016. Veal and chicken parmigiana, along with their cousins meatball, sausage and shrimp, are more recent adaptations, created by Italian immigrants in America who could afford to use meat in place of the vegetables they relied on in the Old Country.
^"Parma pies on menu for Patties". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. February 18, 2012. p. 31. WHAT do you get if you take the humble meat pie and the Italian chicken parmigiana and mash them together?Link(subscription required) via
EBSCO
^Cannon, Poppy (February 4, 1953). "Advances in Frozen Foods Are Taking Load Off Stoves: New Louis L. Libby Line of Precooked Items Shows How Home Chefs Can Cut Labors". New York Herald Tribune. p. 12.
ProQuest1322298953. Chicken Parmigiano–Generally this method is reserved for a breaded cutlet of veal, but it's amazing how good and unusual a dish you achieve by arranging heated quick-frozen southern fried chicken on the serving dish. Top each piece with a thin slice of cheese. The Italians would use Mozzarella; Muenster is good too, and so is mild American. A sprinkle of grated Parmesan over the top adds tang. Place under a broiler or in the oven till the cheese melts and then pour around a tomato sauce made by heating Hunt's tomato sauce with one clove garlic finely crushed, one-half bay leaf, one teaspoon olive oil, one-fourth to one-half teaspoon basil, oregano or marjoram. Simmer eight to ten minutes.
^New Menus Are Offered Home Cook," (September 6, 1962). The New York Times p.33, in "
Chicken Parm", The Food Timeline, retrieved November 12, 2015.
^"I Say". The Mail (Adelaide). Vol. 43, no. 2, 164. South Australia. November 28, 1953. p. 55. Retrieved March 24, 2019 – via National Library of Australia. They ask for steak and eggs, but change to Chicken Parmigiana when the waiter explains that it's chicken cooked in light wine and served with grated cheese