Keto Chicken Parmi Bowl

1 egg

80g (⅔ cup) almond meal

40g (½ cup) finely grated parmesan

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh continental parsley, plus extra to serve

4 x (about 125g each) chicken breast schnitzels (uncrumbed)

Extra virgin olive oil, to shallow fry, plus extra to drizzle

80ml (⅓ cup) tomato pasta sauce

4 slices smoked ham

50g (½ cup) coarsely grated fresh mozzarella

1.1kg (1 head) cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets

25g butter

125ml (½ cup) thickened cream

White pepper, to season

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, optional

Lightly whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Combine the almond meal, parmesan and parsley on a plate. Season the chicken. Dip 1 chicken piece in the egg, then into the almond meal mixture, pressing to coat. Transfer to a lined tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken, egg and almond meal mixture. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

For the puree, place the cauliflower in a medium saucepan over high heat and cover with water. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until tender. Drain into a colander, reserving ⅓ cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the butter in the saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the cooked cauliflower, cream and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 3 minutes or until reduced slightly. Remove from the heat and use a stab blender to blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir through the chives, if using. Cover and set aside.

Heat 1cm of oil in a large, heavy based frypan over high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, for 3 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden. Remove the baking paper from the tray. Transfer the chicken to the tray.

Preheat the grill to high. Spoon a dollop of tomato pasta sauce over each schnitzel. Top with ham and sprinkle with cheese. Grill for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Sprinkle with extra parsley if desired.

Meanwhile, return the cauliflower puree to medium heat and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve the chicken with the puree.