Worldwide delectability: Australia

There are far too many tasty dishes around the world to be listed here in a single article. But, I was curious to find out what the most palatable cuisines are based on the continent. As it turns out, even breaking the world up into continents doesn’t cover the variety of the most delicious cuisines around the world. So, the only way to avoid an endless list of deliciousness and delectability from every corner of the world is to pick one from each continent that could properly represent that continent in particular. In this article, I will discover the most delicious dish in Australia!

The Continent of Australia

Australia is a very unique and intriguing continent.  Not only is Australia the name of the continent but, it is also the name of the main island/country in it. The other countries inside the continent of Australia are Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. There are approximately 25,530,600 people across the continent of Australia.  Australia has some of the most beautiful cities in the world and some of the greatest restaurants. The most delicious, and most shocking dish in Australia is Chicken Parmigiana!

Chicken Parmigiana is certainly not the dish I thought I would be writing about for Australia. I always thought of this as a popular Italian meal, but as I found out, eggplant parmigiana is much more “classic Italian” than the chicken version. However, the Australian version of Chicken Parmigiana is very popular as pub food and is often served with sides of chips (fries) and a salad. There are some people who believe sliced ham or bacon on the chicken is appropriate while others disagree with the addition of pork to the dish. Whereas in much of North America, Chicken Parmigiana is served out of nicer restaurants usually with a side of pasta.

The ingredients for classic Australian Chicken Parmigiana are as follows (thanks to Heidi Clacy in Australia, recipe located on www.cookpad.com)

• 1 homemade or store-bought chicken schnitzel (per person)
• 1 jar of tomato-based sauce. Should not be wine-based, but thick tomato-based with onion, mushrooms, etc
• 1 large slice of ham (per serving)
• 2 slices of strong cheddar cheese (per serving)

To make this delectable dish, follow the directions from Heidi Clacy at www.cookpad.com as follows:

1. Heat frying pan to medium heat and cook schnitzel (breaded chicken) in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil until chicken is golden and crispy.
2. Preheat oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Once cooked, place on baking sheet and spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce on top of each chicken and spread evenly
4. Let ham slices over sauce, one slice per chicken
5. Now top with the cheese slices, two per chicken
6. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and golden (about 15 minutes)
7. Serve with a side of salad and chips (fries)

Fun fact!

Locals in Australia may be heard referring to Chicken Parmigiana as Parmi, Parma or Parmy.

Authentic Italian-American Chicken Parmesan recipe

(thanks to www.asimplepalate.com)

These ingredients are slightly different than the Australian version.

Chicken ingredients

• 3 Chicken breasts or cutlets, sliced in half
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, whisked
• ⅓ cup of olive oil

Breading ingredients

• 1 ½ cups of bread crumbs
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• ½ teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
• 2 teaspoons herbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Topping ingredients

• 6 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cups tomato/marinara sauce
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Instructions are as follows:

1. Pound chicken breasts or cutlets in a plastic bag until about ½ inch thick
2. Mix all ingredients for the breadcrumbs together
3. Set bowl of breadcrumbs in this order-flour bowl, egg bowl, and breadcrumb bowl
4. Dip chicken in flour, cover both sides
5. Then dip in egg bowl, cover both sides
6. Then dip in breadcrumbs, cover both sides, packed  by hand to complete
7. Repeat for all pieces of chicken
8. Brown the chicken in a frying pan of oil, 2 minutes each side
9. Repeat for all chicken pieces
10. Finally, finish by baking all breaded chicken pieces in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 14 minutes.
11. Remove chicken and sprinkle cheese over tops
12. Back in the given and broil for one minute
13. Finish with fresh basil
14. Serve with pasta, salad, or roasted vegetables

Resources: www.cookpad.com, www.asimplepalate.com for recipes