"Smaller chicken breasts are ideal. The first step to a tender chicken parm starts with the cut of chicken. The bigger the breast is, the larger the fibers and muscles are," says Rito. A smaller breast will likely be more tender. While some chicken breasts can weigh as much as 8 ounces or more, aim for ones closer to 5 ounces.
"I want it to be as even as possible because when I fry them in the pan they're going to cook more evenly," Rito explains. She cuts the thicker head of the breast on a bias to create two similar-sized pieces. After that, she pounds them with a mallet to flatten and tenderize them.
Choosing the right tomatoes is a critical part of making the best chicken parm. At Don Angie, Rito uses DOP San Marzano tomatoes, grown in a specific area of Naples, Italy, near Mt. Vesuvius. If you can't find DOP San Marzanos, Rito says, "regular San Marzanos are a fine substitute."
Instead of blending tomatoes to a completely uniform, smooth consistency, Rito prefers to crush her canned tomatoes by hand. That way she says, the sauce will have "rustic chunks of tomato throughout," which gives it a nice varied texture.
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