Chicken Parmesan

Hit both sides of the chicken thighs with a generous pinch of salt and let them sit 10 minutes.

Put a thigh in a freezer bag and pound it thinner with a sturdy sauce pan, using many light smacks rather than heavy ones so the meat does not tear. Aim for about seven inches by three inches and a half inch thick.

Set up the flour in one tray and the scrambled eggs in another.

Combine the panko, grated Parmesan, black pepper and salt and fluff together.

Press the cutlet into the flour on both sides so the whole surface is dusted, shake off the excess, then swish it through the egg, scooping egg over any dry spots.

Lift and drain the cutlet well, then press it into the crumbs on both sides, piling and pressing until no raw chicken shows.

Lay the breaded cutlets on a wire rack and rest them in the fridge 30 minutes, which hydrates the flour base and unifies it with the chicken so the breading sticks.

Heat a saucier over medium, add the olive oil, then the minced garlic and chopped Calabrian chilies, and sweat three to four minutes until the garlic softens.

Add the tomato paste and fry it off with the garlic about 60 seconds until it turns rusty.

Add the crushed tomatoes, the sugar and the salt, bring to a spirited simmer and drop to low.

Simmer 15 minutes over low heat until it is thick enough to leave a sturdy trail behind a spatula, closer to tomato spread than tomato sauce.

Stack and roll the basil leaves, slice into strips, turn 90 degrees and cut once more, then stir it in off the heat.

Add about a cup of olive oil to a large saute pan, three quarters of an inch deep, and heat to roughly 350 to 375F until it shimmers.

Lay the cutlets in away from you. They must sizzle straight away or the crumbs absorb oil. Shimmy the pan to even out the heat.

Fry about two minutes a side until golden brown and cooked through, then move to a wire rack.

Spread about a quarter cup of the thick tomato sauce over each cutlet, lay on a slice of provolone, three slices of fresh mozzarella and a generous handful of grated parmesan.

Broil on high three to four minutes, watching closely so the cheese melts evenly and browns deeply. Without a broiler, bake at the oven's highest setting until the cheese is browned and melty.