Chicken parm pizza is an Italian food lover's dream
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- The chicken parm pizza at Quality Italian in Midtown, Manhattan, definitely earned the right to be called unique.
The pizza debuted when the restaurant first opened back in 2013 and has since become one of their signature dishes.
What's so different about this pizza from all other pizzas? Well, that's easy - it's all in the name.
The pizza is made entirely of fried chicken. Nick Gaube, executive chef at Quality Italian, jokes that the pizza is like a giant chicken nugget.
"It's almost the two quintessential Italian-American dishes: chicken parm and pizza," he said.
The dish originally flew under the radar, but now that it's picked up traction, Quality Italian can sell up to 90 pies a night, Gaube said.
To prepare the dish, the restaurant seasons ground chicken with 10 Italian spices, flattens the chicken into a disc and freezes it until the chicken congeals.
The chicken base is then prepared much like a breaded chicken cutlet (with egg wash and a heavy coating of breadcrumbs).
It's then deep fried to become the base of the pie. Once golden brown, the pie is topped with tomato sauce and copious amounts of cheese, then baked until bubbling perfection.
The pie is served hot tableside. We immediately noticed the smell of chicken parmesan and our mouths began to water. At first bite, we realized what all the hype is about and why celebs like Lebron James keep coming back for more.
This summer, Quality Italian will offer different varieties of this mainstay, and it's worth checking out.
There will be a Cacio e Pepe as well as a sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe version. Mangia!
The cost to share the pizza will run a hefty $68 but can easily be shared with four people (but you might not want to share).
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