Chicken Valdostana with Fontina (Printable Version)
Italian chicken layered with prosciutto and Fontina cheese in a 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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 the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and dried oregano. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Nestle the seared chicken breasts into the sauce. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto and a portion of Fontina cheese.
07 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve hot with extra sauce spooned over each portion.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The combination of salty prosciutto and melting Fontina creates a flavor that feels like a restaurant secret you somehow pulled off at home.
- That sauce, rich from wine and tomatoes, soaks into everything on the plate and makes side dishes unnecessary but irresistible.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken because uneven thickness means some pieces dry out while others remain undercooked.
- Letting the sauce simmer those five minutes before adding the chicken back is what transforms it from watery to velvety.
03 -
- Use an oven safe skillet from the start so you never have to transfer everything to a new pan and lose any of the sauce.
- The secret to a truly great Valdostana is patience during the searing step because that golden crust is the foundation of every flavor that follows.