Chicken & Eggplant Parmigiana with Rosemary Roasted Kumara
SERVES 4 PREPARATION 20 MINUTES COOKING 30 MINUTES
ROSEMARY ROASTED KUMARA 400g red, gold or orange kumara, skin left on, scrubbed, cut into 1-2cm cubes 1½ teaspoons olive oil 2 teaspoons rosemary leaves
PARMIGIANA 550g (about 2 large) skinless chicken breasts 1 teaspoon oil 1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional) 1 large eggplant, cut into 1cm slices 2 teaspoons olive oil, for brushing ½ cup grated mozzarella 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
TO SERVE fresh basil leaves to garnish green salad or sautéed veges
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Toss kumara with olive oil and rosemary on lined oven tray. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes or until golden, turning once during cooking.
3. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and cut horizontally into thin steaks – to do this, lay one hand flat on top of a chicken breast on a chopping board and use a large, sharp knife in the other hand to carefully and evenly slice through horizontally, keeping equal thickness on either side as best you can. Season each piece with salt. Heat oil in a large frypan. Brown chicken steaks for 1 minute on each side – do not cook all the way through. Set aside.
4. Tip crushed tomatoes into frypan chicken was cooked in, stir in tomato paste, dried herbs and chilli flakes, then simmer, stirring frequently, on medium heat for about 8 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
5. Once kumara is cooked, transfer to a bowl, keep warm and switch oven to grill. Arrange eggplant on same lined tray, brush (or spray) lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until soft and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate (but keep lined tray).
6. Place chicken steaks on lined tray and top with eggplant slices, dividing equally. Spread with tomato sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Grill for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, and cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish parmigiana with basil, then serve with roasted kumara and green salad or sautéed veges.