The Best Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, divided
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 loaf crusty italian bread, crust removed, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
• 5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 quart Italian-American red sauce
• 10 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil, or a mix

Directions

1. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Working with 1 piece at a time, slip the chicken into a plastic zipper-lock bag and flatten it with a meat pounder, or use the bottom of a skillet, until it is evenly 1/4-inch thick. Move the chicken to a large bowl.
2. Pour in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, then add the minced garlic. Add kosher salt, 2 tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Turn the chicken with your hands until the seasoning and garlic are worked through and every piece is covered in the buttermilk mixture. Tip everything into a large zipper-lock bag, squeeze out the air, and close it. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or as long as overnight.
3. Set a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the bread slices on it. Let the bread sit on the counter until mostly dry, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
4. The next day, keep the wire rack sitting in the rimmed baking sheet, and tear the bread into rough pieces. Put the bread in the food processor with 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, then season with black pepper. Process until the crumbs are fine, about 20 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate.
5. Put the flour in a 2nd shallow bowl or pie plate. Use a 3rd pie plate for the eggs; whisk them with 2 tablespoons buttermilk and 1 tablespoon flour. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk over the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture, then work it in with your fingertips. You want it to look mealy, but it should clump when you squeeze it in your hands.
6. Working with 1 piece at a time, take the chicken from the bag and set it in the flour. Coat it well, shake away the extra, and dip it into the egg mixture. Let the excess drip back into the plate, then move the chicken to the crumbs. Turn it to cover, heap crumbs over the top, and press firmly so a thick coating sticks. Set the coated chicken on the wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
7. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Warm the sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until it barely simmers. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
8. In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until an instant read or deep-frying thermometer shows 375 to 400 degrees F. Cook in batches, carefully lowering the cutlets into the oil away from you. Add only as many as fit in 1 layer, 2 to 3 cutlets.
9. While the chicken cooks, gently swirl the pan, and if anything sticks, loosen it with a thin, flexible metal spatula. Cook until the underside is crisp and golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula and a fork to carefully turn the chicken, then cook until the 2nd side is golden brown. Move the chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, and repeat with the rest.
10. Spread 1/3 of the sauce across the bottom of a casserole or oven-safe serving dish. Arrange the chicken pieces over the sauce, overlapping them slightly. Spoon on more sauce in a line down the center. In a large bowl, toss the mozzarella with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Lay the cheese mixture over the chicken in a straight center line.
11. Transfer the dish to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and grate fresh Parmesan over the top right away. Let it rest for 3 minutes, add the chopped herbs, and serve immediately.