Australia

What came first? Chicken parmesano or chicken nuggets?

Chicken parm, 1950s: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_parmesan

Chicken nuggets also 1950s: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicken_nugget&diffonly=true

However chicken milanesa (breaded chicken cutlets) has its origin at about 1200s: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veal_Milanese&diffonly=true

So, in my opinion Chicken nuggets specifically came after chicken parm, since its recorded history dates much further back than an emulsified paste of poultry breaded and fried (dino shapes inclusive)

Therefore the kids versión is a riff off chicken parm and not the other way around, so you can feel better about that.

Here's my controversial parmi take.

No, dad, the chicken parmi here isn't "too dry". Chicken parmi is always dry. It's a terrible, dry food that has to be slathered in sauce to even be edible.

It's a conclusion I reached after watching countless times where someone would order the chicken parma and go on to complain that it's too dry. If one restaurant's parma is too dry, they did a bad job. If every pub does parma that's too dry, that's the dish's fault.

I guess a chicken ceaser salad is actually just chicken nuggets because you've got croutons, chicken, sauce, and salad too.

Have always said this. My preferred deep fried crumbed pub protein is a massive Weiner Schnitzel with gravy.

chicken schnitzel is a chicken nugget for adults? Sure. I'll let that truth stand.

But a chicken parmi? As in, a schnitzel covered in tomato pasta sauce, a slice of ham (or similar) and drowned in melted cheese? I dunno.

I think we're going to have to draw the line at cheese making it an adult meal.

But here's the most important part: no-one needs to grow up. You need to harden up, not grow up.

Well, I don't see a problem with Adult Nuggies...

But, oh, there's a lot of variability in parmi's and even in just a chicken schnitzel.

Some 'chicken' schnitzels aren't pure chicken. They're some sort of mashed up beaks and feet with filler in breadcrumbs. Some are real chicken, but unidentifiable parts of a chicken. Some are real chicken breast, and even fewer are chicken thighs.

Then you get the cooking bit. And it's so often overcooked. Dry, tough. Maybe they want to make you buy another beer to try and wash it down.

I'm not even gonna start on the parmi side... It's not tomato sauce ffs, and your cheese and/or ham does matter. Most places going parmi makes a schnitzel worse instead of better.

There's two places I know that do it well, and no, I'm not telling you where, because I'm not gonna show up to the place and be told they've sold out of my Adult Nuggies. No1 doesn't share his food.