Parmo is a classic takeaway dish from Teesside, created by an American army chef who settled in the area after World War II. Essentially a fried breadcrumbed piece of pork or chicken, slathered with ‘bech’ (béchamel sauce) and cheese, it’s not for the faint-hearted – although our version is more waistline-friendly
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
2 large skinless chicken breasts, about 160g each
25g plain flour
2 medium eggs, beaten
125g dried breadcrumbs
sunflower oil, to deep fry and bake with
For the topping
25g butter
25g plain flour
250ml milk
1 bay leaf
grated nutmeg
75g grated cheese (Red Leicester or mature cheddar)
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The bechamel sauce keep for up to three days in the fridge. The breaded chicken can be prepared the day before, or frozen.
Preheat the oven to 240°C, fan 220°C, gas 9, unless you’re going to deep-fry the chicken.
Start by making the béchamel sauce topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour; stir until smooth. Take off the heat; gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick; add nutmeg and season. Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, dampen and press on top of the sauce to stop a skin forming. Set aside.
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, then place between 2 sheets of baking paper and bat out to an even thickness (about 8mm) with a rolling pin.
Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Season the chicken, then dip in flour, egg and crumbs to coat, in turn.
If oven-baking, put the chicken on a greased baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp, flipping after 15 minutes. If deep-frying, heat the oil to 160°C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in the fat. Deep-fry the breaded chicken, two at a time, until cooked through and golden (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking tray or dish.
Preheat the grill to high. Spoon the béchamel sauce over each chicken breast (discard the bay leaf) and top with a handful of cheese. Grill until golden. Serve immediately, with chips and garlic sauce drizzled all over, adding salad, if you like.
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In England, parmo is a dish originating in Middlesbrough that typically consists of fried breaded chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese instead of tomato sauce. Parmo originated as escalope parmesan, a derivative of chicken parmigiana.
The history of the parmo starts not in Teesside but in Italy with the Parmigiana, a shallow fried filling coated in cheese and tomato, then baked in the oven. Most commonly found in southern Italy, the filling wasn't always a meat one. the earliest recorded parmigiana was made with sliced aubergine.
Parmo, or Teesside Parmesan, is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, England, and a popular item of take-away food in the Teesside area. It consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, usually cheddar. Parmo. Alternative names. Teesside Parmesan.
And, of course, the name of the dish evolved. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded usage of “parmo” as an abbreviation for “parmesan” was on May 7, 2003, in the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette (which for many months ran a parmo of the week column such was the delicacy's ubiquity in the Boro).
Parmo is a classic takeaway dish from Teesside, created by an American army chef who settled in the area after World War II. Essentially a fried breadcrumbed piece of pork or chicken, slathered with 'bech' (béchamel sauce) and cheese, it's not for the faint-hearted – although our version is more waistline-friendly.
But how was the Parmo born? Legend has it that Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough is the birthplace of the dish. In reality it was America where the Parmo was born in the 1930s. The godfather of the Teesside Parmo was Nicos Harris, a chef with the American army in the Second World War.
A new world record was set in 2012 when a 7.5ft-long parmo appeared in Al Forno's on Southfield Road, Middlesbrough! This colossal creation of chicken, cheese and bechamel sauce is sure to tantalize taste buds far and wide – have you tried it yet?
The Parmo is really just an escalope parmesan, tweaked for the post-pub fast food market. It's breaded, fried chicken or pork topped with a layer of stiff Béchamel sauce, then cheese, and grilled. Typically it's served with cheddar rather than parmesan on top.
You can reheat chicken parmesan in a microwave on a microwave safe plate. Another way is in a toaster oven. If you use a toaster oven, put in a container that is safe in a toaster oven. You can reheat chicken parmesan in a frying pan.
Chicken Parmo is a delicious and popular dish that originated in the North East of England. It is a unique take on the traditional Italian dish, Parmigiana, which is usually made with eggplant (aubergine) as the main ingredient.
Originating in the Italian neighborhoods along the east coast, chicken parmigiana eventually spread to restaurants and published cookbooks of the 1950s. Before long, the dish was everywhere—even appearing on menus at restaurants that were decidedly not Italian.
The dish is simply made with a fried breaded chicken escalope, topped with bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese. Although it was traditionally made with pork the recipe has changed over the years.
The Middlesbrough dish known as a parmesan, more commonly referred to today as the 'parmo', has an interesting history. Although anecdotally suggested to be in use by at least the 1990s, recorded evidence indicates that it was first officially named 'parmo' in 2003 – now we're asking for your help!
Some believe that it was created in Parma, hence the name.Others believe it comes from a Sicilian word that means slabs on a roof, referring to the thin slices of chicken covered in the sauce.
But how was the Parmo born? Legend has it that Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough is the birthplace of the dish.In reality it was America where the Parmo was born in the 1930s. The godfather of the Teesside Parmo was Nicos Harris, a chef with the American army in the Second World War.
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Prep time: 30 mins
