Chicken Valdostana with Fontina (Printer-Friendly)
Breaded chicken layered with prosciutto and Fontina, baked in white wine tomato sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Cured Meats
02 - 4 slices prosciutto di Parma
→ Cheeses
03 - 4 oz Fontina cheese, sliced
→ Breading
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
→ Cooking Fat
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Sauces & Liquids
06 - ⅓ cup dry white wine
07 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - ¼ cup chicken broth
→ Aromatics & Seasonings
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Place chicken breasts between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - Dredge each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess to ensure a light, even coating.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
05 - In the same skillet, add shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring to prevent burning.
06 - Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and dried oregano. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
07 - Lay the seared chicken breasts back into the sauce. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto and an even layer of Fontina cheese.
08 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve hot with extra sauce spooned over the top.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce tastes like something you would find at a tiny trattoria tucked into a cobblestone alley in Aosta.
- It looks wildly impressive but most of the magic happens in one skillet, which means cleanup is almost too easy for how good this tastes.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken because uneven thickness means some pieces dry out while others are still pink in the middle.
- Letting the sauce simmer those five minutes before adding the chicken back concentrates the flavors and prevents a watery result.
03 -
- Use an oven-safe skillet from the start so you never have to transfer everything to a new pan and risk losing that golden crust.
- Tent the skillet loosely with foil if the cheese starts browning too fast before the chicken finishes cooking through.