User:Onetwothreeip/Chicken parmigiana

Chicken parmigiana (pollo alla parmigiana), is a dish that consists of chicken breast covered in bread crumbs, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, with other ingredients such as ham or bacon sometimes added. The meal is widely regarded as a pub staple.

Chicken parmigiana has also been included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches and pies, and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.

History
The dish originated from the influence of Italian emigrants, particularly after World War II. It has been speculated that the dish originates from 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.

Chicken parmigiana was known in Australia by the 1950s. It was offered in restaurants in Adelaide as early as 1953. It is regularly served as a main meal throughout Australia, where it is considered a staple of pub food. In a 2019 interview 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.

Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, with some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken. The colloquial name of the dish is also the subject of some dispute, being known variably as "parma", "parmi" and "parmy" across different regions. Its popularity has led to a dedicated chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne, and chicken parmigiana is the subject of reviews on dedicated websites which compare the dish as purchased from various pubs within a region.