Note: If you want to speed this recipe up, you can use a good quality store bought marinara sauce. But as always, home made is better and this is so easy to make too!

Add the olive oil in a large saucepan (you’ll need one with a lid) and add your chopped onion and garlic. Mix using a wooden spoon for 60 seconds on medium heat.

Turn the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste, Italian herbs and salt and stir until the tomato paste starts bubbling.

Add the crushed tomatoes or passata and basil and stir until mixture bubbles. Turn heat down to low, cover pot with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. The mixture should thicken slightly, reduce, and intensify in flavor. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets, just take care not to let it burn! Set aside to cool slightly before using.

To prepare the chicken - Slice each chicken breast through the center using a sharp knife leaving one side intact so that it essentially becomes a large piece of chicken. Lay on a large baking tray, sprinkle both sides with sea salt flakes and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. This will give you a crispy chicken breast.

Take out of the fridge and pat down with paper towels to dry. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and smokey paprika.

To prepare the coatings - Add the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese to a deep sided plate or dish and mix together. Add the flour and whisked eggs into two separate deep sided plates (I used pie dishes) and set aside.

Grate the cheeses and mix together in a bowl. Set aside.

To coat the chicken - Dip the cutlets into the flour, coating them well. Gently shake off excess, then dip into the whisked egg allowing excess to drip off, then dip into the bread crumb mixture. Place on a plate and repeat with all the chicken until all the chicken is coated.

Preheat your oven to 180C.

To cook crispy chicken - Add enough oil in a deep sided frypan to fill ⅓ of the way. Heat on medium heat. To check if it’s ready, dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if it bubbles, it’s ready. Add 2 chicken cutlets into the frypan at a time. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 73C / 165F. Once cooked, transfer to a baking tray lined with paper towels. Continue cooking the remaining chicken until it’s all cooked.

Transfer the chicken to a baking tray. Top with marinara and mixed cheese. Place in the oven and bake until cheese begins getting golden on top. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving so you don’t burn the roof of your mouth. Sprinkle with chopped basil or parsley.