Chicken Parmesan

• 3 lbs chicken pieces, skin removed (legs & thighs are fine)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated bread crumbs (stale, but not dry is best)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

First remove the skin from your chicken pieces. The coating sticks better, and tastes better when used to coat skinless chicken pieces. The skin makes it taste too greasy. Next, in a wide cereal bowl combine the egg and milk; set it aside. In a large shallow dish combine the grated Parmesan cheese, and the semi-soft bread crumbs. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix well. Dip the naked chicken pieces into the egg mixture, and then coat them liberally with the cheese and bread crumb mixture. Press the crumb mixture into the chicken to make it stick. Arrange the chicken on a well oiled baking pan. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Serve hot with corn on the cob, tossed salad and green peas. Very good.

For the crumbs I use the heels of my homemade bread. I crumble it up by hand into fine crumbs and measure it as I go along. Store-bought bread will work too. For faster or more efficient crumbling, place your stale bread into a blender or food processor and process until the bread is fine and crumbly. Personally, I hate to clean the kitchen machines, so I make crumbs with sturdy fingers instead. Makes 6 servings.