(upbeat music)
- Having done this for the past 13 years,
we picked up on a tiny reoccurring theme
that internationally, traditional British food
is seen as well, being a little bit poop.
(bleep)
- An absolute steaming pile of horse manure
stuck in the middle of the road.
You drive straight over it, it goes into your tyres,
you try to get it out and it flicks in your eye.
- We refute that.
- How dare you? - How dare you?
- How dare you?
So today we're gonna knock up a crazy dish
from the British isles,
guaranteed to change your perception.
Boys, today we're travelling to the northeast of England,
Middlesbrough in particular
and you're gonna be cooking up a parmo.
(Barry laughs)
- Brilliant.
- [Mike] You know what it is?
- I only recently found out about this
and it's amazing.
I made two new friends at a wedding from Middlesbrough.
- No, you didn't make friends.
You didn't make friends. - I tried to make friends.
They insisted we had to make this dish.
- Oh, amazing.
- [Jamie] What is it?
- It's combining his favourite thing in the world
with one of my favourite things in the world.
- I'm not gonna show you any image spoilers.
I'm gonna show you an image spoiler.
But it's basically a breaded deep fried chicken
or pork cutlet topped with tomato sauce or bechamel
and always melted cheese.
- It's a chicken strips pizza.
- That's like a chicken parmigiana.
- Yes. - [Jamie] Right.
- But with a northeastern UK.
- Chicken parmigiana?
(Barry laughs)
- Is that your best Southland?
- (indistinct)
- No.
- [Jamie] Parmigiana?
- Oh, we're in deep waters already.
Yeah, chicken parmigiana vibes,
but twisted in a way that only the northeast of England can.
- I have no idea how this got to Middlesbrough,
but let's just make it.
- Okay, step one, bash out your chicken.
So you are going to panne your meat,
so bash it out, flour, eggs, bread crumb.
And then you're gonna move on to your sauce.
And you need to make the choice between bechamel or tomato.
I'll leave it up to you.
(upbeat music, rolling pins banging)
Synchronised banging.
- You want it to be as thin as possible
cause we're gonna deep fry this?
- I mean, you still want a bit of meat, don't you?
- [Barry] Yeah.
- You wanna cut through it, but yeah.
(upbeat music)
And it's not clear who invented the pizza parmo
but it's believed to have been invented
by an Italian immigrant living in Middlesbrough.
Since then, taken off, become really popular,
customised, and spread to other parts
of the north of the UK.
(rock music)
- Right, basic bechamel.
We want a big dollop of butter, big dollop of flour.
Cook the flour out and then in with some milk.
Then keep adding in milk a little bit at a time.
It'll all come together.
Look doughy, keep adding in milk
until you get a thick white sauce.
- Should we fry some chicken?
- Do it. - [Mike] Yes yes yes!
Lovely.
- [Jamie] Woo!
- Would you like to hear an alternate account
for the invention?
- Yeah. - Sure.
- Nicos Harris, a Greek American Navy chef.
He's also credited with creating the parmo.
He was injured while serving off the coast of France
and was brought to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
He settled in Middlesbrough,
eventually opened a restaurant called the American Grill.
And in 1959, this is where it said
that the parmo was invented.
Ah, Janis.
- Oh, look at that.
I love chicken.
What's the thing about you put bunch of monkeys in the room
that finally write Shakespeare?
- Yeah, yeah.
- It feels like you put all the amazing food
out in the world.
This was gonna happen.
- [Mike] This was gonna happen.
- Like you're gonna combine fried chicken
and pizza at some point.
- And on paper there is nothing that isn't fantastic
about this dish.
- This is every kind of wrong that makes it right.
- [Mike] Curve ball.
- And I realised what I just did.
I put Shakespeare and parmo at the same level.
- [Mike] Shakespeare and James Bond.
- This country imports some incredible things.
- Yeah.
- Going to throw a slight curve ball into the mix.
Ebbers is going to blind judge this at the end.
He doesn't know what we're doing.
Definitely doesn't know what we're doing.
He's gonna taste it and he's gonna review it.
1, 2, 3 or 4 stars.
See, you thought there was swearing in the thumbnail.
We are family friendly.
- You say that's done?
- [Mike] Yeah, man.
Well look, we have a thermometer.
We could stick that in it.
It'll carry on.
- Or you could just splash it over me.
(Mike laughing)
- Let's get it in the oven.
- Is it?
It's definitely done then.
- Oh, Jamie, look at that.
- So you're gonna have a tomato sauce as well?
- I think.
- It's not pizza unless it's a tomato.
- [Mike] Yeah, I think you have to.
- I think it is chicken parmo with a pizza.
So you have to go bechamel, tomato and cheese.
- Shall we talk sides because we haven't mentioned sides.
- Yes.
- And obviously this dish needs sides.
So this is usually served with crispy fries.
So we've given you some crispy fries and garlic sauce.
- Garlic sauce, garlic mayo?
- Or like.
- Well, what's written here is garlic sauce
or salad on the side.
(Barry laughing)
This is obviously from a kebab shop, isn't it?
- It's kebab garlic sauce.
- I don't know.
What I can tell you is
Asda supermarket in the UK started selling these.
Because they were so popular in the northeast,
they were selling 6,000 a week.
- No way. - Wow.
- [Mike] Yeah.
Chickens looking great.
Do you want your next instruction?
- Yeah.
- Prepare your toppings, top and bake.
- Simple.
- It's the best recipe ever.
(rock music)
- What are you doing here, Baz?
- What I'm doing here is something I never expected to do
is smother a deep fried chicken with bechamel.
- What's the bechamel doing in this situation?
- Well, it's a creamy, buttery sauce, isn't it?
It's thick, it's texture.
It's adding silk.
- It's adding silk.
- I mean, this is for Ebbers to tell us once he tastes it.
So a bit of a clue, Baz.
From the photos in the research
if you were to look top down at that chicken.
- [Barry] Yeah.
- [Mike] You wouldn't see any of it for bechamel.
- No way.
It feels excessive
but I think that is what's right about this.
- I'm sure Ebbers will see it as purely in moderation.
- Mike, I've got some lovely chicken tenders
for you as well.
- Oh, I love you.
Oh, and chicken calamari.
- Yep, chicken calamari.
(rock music)
- If you get really good at this, you both could actually
take part in the World Parmo Championships.
- The world, is that a bit?
- There's a World Parmo Championships?
- Is that a bit like the World Baseball League
and the world?
- Right.
You are doing nothing for international relations.
- I'm just saying.
- [Mike] Yeah, it's held in Middlesbrough.
30 restaurants battle it out with a thrilling parmo off
held at the town hall to crown the winner.
- Now the tomato.
We've got chicken, bechamel, tomato, cheese.
Yeah.
- Well, that's how a pizza would be done, isn't it?
- Yeah, stick to that. - [Mike] And then toppings.
- Yeah. - And then toppings.
- And then bake.
(upbeat music)
- Cheeses we've got stringy mozzarella cheese,
we've got Parmesan, traditional.
- Definitely has to go on there.
- Traditional.
- Then we've got red Leicester.
North with a gap, isn't it?
- Leicester, Middlesbrough?
They're about, yeah.
- They're about.
- No, they're not.
- It's next door.
- It's not there. - It's next door.
- It's Leicester, Middlesbrough.
- Middles brough.
- It's not in the middle.
It's nowhere near.
- [Jamie] No, it's not in the middle
- [Barry] But it's a red cheese that looks nice.
- So what are your thoughts cheese wise, Baz?
Parmesan, bottom and top.
Mozzarella and red Leicester in the middle.
- Oh nice, yeah, yeah.
- You want that flick of that orange.
- Yeah.
- [Mike] Red Leicester coming through.
- But also from a flavour perspective
you want umami in different layers.
- This is why this is such a popular dish
because of thinking like that.
I like the fact that you are kind of sticking to the rules
when it comes to how this is traditionally made.
Because there was a restaurant in Sheffield
that kind of reinvented it
and the chef actually modified it to "improve" it.
- Ooh.
- [Mike] And people kicked off.
- [Jamie] Ooh.
- [Mike] And we don't want any of that noise.
- [Jamie] Let's stick to traditions.
- [Mike] Yes, yeah.
- This is the point usually that I feel
we stop with the amount of cheese, but I'm only halfway.
(rock music)
Jamie, I don't think there's gonna be room for toppings.
- Oh, Spaff.
That's not working very well.
- I hate, hate, hate that you've made me feel
how Ebbers sometimes feels.
- I feel like I've gotta stick with the Italian theme.
- [Mike] Wow.
- British.
- We've got thick cut ham or pepperoni.
Ham and pineapple, surely.
- No.
- We've got pineapple.
- Oh no, you've got pineapple.
- No, I'm not doing it.
No, I can't.
(upbeat music)
Right, that's that one.
Then we'll do a ham and pineapple.
I mean, Italians are offended by
the idea of ham and pineapple.
But we're in new territory here.
- We're not making anything Italian.
- [Barry] Exactly, exactly.
- This is what already pre-exists.
Which is the one that you're gonna serve to Ebbers?
What do you think's the one that he's gonna like the most?
We could do a little selection board, couldn't we?
- A smorgasbord.
- Smorgasbord.
(upbeat music)
- [Mike] Oh nice, Baz.
- [Jamie] Mm.
- So what we got here, Baz, talk us through it.
- We've got a full menu out here.
We've got pepperoni and basil, we've got olive,
we've got a ham and pineapple, and we've got anchovy.
Bit more cheese on top.
Yeah.
- How are we feeling, lads?
- I'm feeling happy now.
- I mean.
- This is great.
- I've never felt more in my comfort zone.
- Are you starting to get an idea
as to why this is so popular?
- A hundred percent.
It's nearly keto.
(Mike laughing)
Apart from the breadcrumbs on the chicken.
I mean, that could be a really great keto dish.
- [Barry] It's a more balanced meal, isn't it?
- [Jamie] Yeah.
- Give it a bit of a punch, you know?
- Yes.
- A punch of bay leaf.
- Punch of bay leaf, perfect.
Ben's not gonna know what's hit him.
- Whoa, that flavour.
- Baz, you've done a great job.
I'm gonna put these in the oven for a couple of minutes
and we'll get 'em into the sexies.
- While that cooks, let's make a garlic mayo.
(upbeat music)
- [Mike] If you are loving the sound of this,
you can check it out on our brand new
Sorted food tab on Sidekick.
Scan the QR code now
or click the link in the description box below.
- Ebbers.
- This is gonna be a good breakfast.
- Oh. - Oh.
- So the boys have knocked up a delicacy from Middlesbrough.
- Yes.
- We would like you to react to it, talk about it, taste it,
and then we'd like you to rate it 1, 2, 3 or 4 stars.
This is all personal.
You're a chef.
You know what you're talking about.
And I've been to Middlesbrough.
- [Mike] Lift the cloche.
(upbeat music)
- Chicken and chips.
- [Mike] Boys, do you wanna tell Ebbers what he has there?
- Ebbers, in front of you
you have the now world famous parmo.
- Oh, don't forget.
For your chips.
- Traditionally put together as is popular
with a garlic mayo and french fries.
This is a deep fried chicken cutlet with bechamel sauce,
cheese of two varieties, three varieties.
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato sauce, topped like a pizza.
This is hugely popular in Middlesbrough.
We'd like you to see if you can work out
what all the fuss is about.
- What cheeses are we talking about?
- Oh, Ebbers.
You've got mozzarella, you've got parmigiano reggiano
and of course red Leicester.
- That was my question was
how regional are these ingredients?
- We had a conversation about
the geography between Leicester and Middlesbrough
and decided they were both north of London
so that's probably why they use it.
- [Mike] Jamie said that.
- [Barry] It's red, it's good for the colour.
- If it's the traditional stuff,
a nice sort of Sparkenhoe annatto kind of vibe,
I'm on board.
- You don't want the cheese
to take away from the experience.
You don't want to overpower the dish.
Its beauty as its simplicity.
- What I'm baffled by is why it's become so popular
in that one region.
I'm underwhelmed
'cause I was expecting more of a surprise under the cloche,
like a slappy.
It's just good, delicious food.
- For the people I've met from Middlesbrough,
they rave about it and they're so proud of it.
It's like, you've got to try this.
They've knocked up some other versions.
- Right, I get you.
So what this actually is is Middlesbrough going,
we like pizza, we like fried chicken,
let's put a pizza on fried chicken.
- Yes, that's where we've got to.
- With bechamel for some unknown reason.
- Good pizzas have a white sauce as opposed to tomato.
The fact that this has got both I think
is a wonderful hybrid.
- Let's dive in and eat some of the stuff.
- You eating the basil?
No, the bay leaf.
- Nice bit of that.
(laughing)
I haven't been to Middlesbrough for some time
and I don't remember having this
or seeing it be such a big thing.
And that said, you can't really go wrong
by merging two firm favourites.
- Yeah.
- The pizza, done badly with three cheeses
and fried chicken ruined by making it soggy.
- I think this is the epitome of one of those things
that's become well known in an area or invented in an area.
And it's almost like the myth and the legend has excelled it
above perhaps it's taste status.
But again, fish and chips, simple, delicious.
We rave about it.
- Yeah.
- And I think this is that equivalent.
It's not the best food in Britain,
but it's obviously become synonymous with that location
and therefore the locals absolutely love it.
All right, Ebbers, in your personal opinion
if you had to rate this dish one to four stars,
what would you give it?
- I've got no idea what that scale stretches from or to.
- Well, this is a time to invent.
- But I would say one star, one star, one star, two star.
Stick to the classic.
- It's a two star meal.
- Two star meal.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, oh, sorry, five star.
- No. - Okay.
- I think these off piece ones aren't as good
as just keeping it classic.
It is hearty
and it's the kind of thing you've just gotta try.
- Yeah.
- Gotta try it, you've gotta believe it.
You've gotta love it.
- Two outta four stars.
You've heard it straight from the chef's mouth,
but if you're from Middlesbrough,
let us know why this is so amazing.
Wax lyrical in the comments
- And let us know what else should we be cooking up next.
What is your favourite British dish
that we should be serving to Ebbers?
- I think you just gotta, you've gotta try it once.
One and done.
I think you've kind of right on that.
We get Kush and the food team
to put it on the Sidekick app.
- I'd still eat it.
- Oh, there you go. - Yeah.
- It's made the app.
(upbeat music)