If you notice, this recipe is enough to feed a small army. It's the actual recipe I used in one of my cooking classes, which holds 15 students. You do not need to prepare enough for this many guests and can adjust quantities proportionally as necessary.
INGREDIENTS:
8 fresh chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
3 lbs. (three boxes) linguine noodles
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
2 cups all-purpose flour (seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika)
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 cups corn meal
Vegetable oil to cook
Marinara Sauce:
(2) 29 oz cans diced tomatoes
(4) 29 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 large sweet onion, small dice
1 large green bell pepper, small dice
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
Cayenne to taste
1 tbsp. granulated sugar, more to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Note: Slicing the chicken breasts in half is beneficial for several important reasons: it's more cost-effective; it will reduce your frying time; and thinner pieces will allow you to cook the chicken fully without burning the breading. Plus, even easier than taking the time to slice every fillet is to buy pre-sliced chicken breasts in the poultry section at the market.
1. Prepare marinara sauce in advance, allowing it to simmer for three hours before serving. Boil linguine noodles as you begin to prepare the chicken fillets, draining and setting aside when done. Also, fill a sauté pan with ½-inch of vegetable oil (no more than 1/3 of the way up the side of the pan) and bring to medium-high heat (or about 375˚F).
2. Combine bread crumbs, grated parmesan cheese, and corn meal in large mixing bowl. Arrange flour, egg, and breading mixture in "assembly line" fashion. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg and coat with breading, shaking off excess dry ingredients along the way. Set aside on lined baking sheet.
3. Fry chicken breasts in oil, lowering heat to medium (between 300 and 320˚F) if browning too quickly, and cook about 3 minutes each side. (Lowering heat to medium likely will be unnecessary, as adding chicken will automatically reduce the heat, but keep an eye on it.)
4. When done, set aside on wire rack set over baking sheet and top each fillet with fresh mozzarella. Broil on middle oven rack until cheese is melted.
5. Serve over linguine and marinara sauce, and garnish with freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese and fresh basil.
