In my restaurant days, it was always a challenge finding new ways to serve chicken so that my customers didn’t get bored and felt as though they were getting a good value for their money. One of my favorite dishes to make as well as eat was Chicken Sorrento.
The history on this dish goes back to a little Italian restaurant I worked at many years ago, family-owned and operated. My friend John had found a great deal on a closed restaurant and asked me to help renovate and open his restaurant.
While I was working on the menu, he told me about a dish his aunt had made when she had first come to America, he had the basics down but didn’t have a clue as to how she made it. After a few test runs this recipe was declared the winner. I hope I did her memory justice.
Chicken Sorrento isn’t a complicated dish, just a few components put together in the right order so that each mouthful of this delicious dish was moan-worthy.
As I moved to different restaurants throughout my career, this was one dish I always took with me. In fact, we’ve even had it at school a few times. It’s a very flavorful chicken dish and served with pasta it will satisfy the heartiest appetite.
Add a loaf of good Italian bread and a salad and you’ve got a restaurant-style meal in the comfort of your own home, at a fraction of the cost of going out. You’ll save enough making this dinner at home to buy the lobster on your next trip to Costco!
If you enjoy restaurant-style dishes made with poultry, you’re going to love these!
Chicken Sorrento
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 small eggplant peeled and sliced longways
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 cup eggs lightly beaten with ¼ of water added to make your eggwash
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- ¼ lb prosciutto sliced very thin
- ¼ lb provolone cheese
- olive oil as needed to saute chicken and fry eggplant
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- splash of white wine
- pinch granulated garlic
- pinch granulated onion
- pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Set up a breading station : flour , eggwash, bread crumbs and bread the eggplant cutlets.
- In a large saute pan over high heat add enough olive oil to the pan to fry one side of the eggplant at a time. fry each side until golden brown, set on paper towels to drain.
- Empty the oil from the saute pan and wipe it out with paper towels.
- Add about two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and allow to get hot over medium high heat
- Dredge the chicken thighs in flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, then place into pan with hot oil, sear one side of the chicken and turn over, then add sliced mushrooms to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat, allowing mushrooms to cook until soft, at this point the chicken should almost be fully cooked.
- Add a splash of wine to stop cooking, add chicken stock, spices and romano cheese and mix well. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Set up each Chicken Sorrento:
- Fried eggplant cutlet, add a few spoons of marinara sauce on top of the eggplant
- Add chicken thighs, top with thinly sliced proscuito
- Add mushrooms and some of the sauce to each sorrento
- Top with provolone cheese and place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes
- Serve with your favorite pasta or side dish and enjoy!
Nutrition
Deb
Thank you, Chef Dennis, for sharing this amazing recipe! It is one of our favorites. Inevitably, my husband requests this dish as his special birthday dinner. Additionally, now that we regularly make this wonderful dish, we never order sorrento when we dine out! Mangia!
Jane
Need help can I do veal for the chicken?
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes you can.
Kathy
This dish sounds wonderful, chef! I’ve made similar but your’s sounds better! I will be trying this very soon.
cheryl
I would like to make this for a dinner party – for 10. Can I do this ahead and then heat the stacks up prior to dinner? I would rather spend time with my guests.
Thanks Chef
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Cheryl
that should work out fine. Set them up in stacks on a cookie sheet and then finish them off in the oven when you’re ready.
Good luck!
Chef Dennis Littley
I would have the mushroom topping in a pan finished ready to heat so its nice and hot when you’re ready to serve
cheryl
Hi Chef, dinner party was an enormous success. One guest commented that it was restaurant quality. The sauce was delicious. I made extra and every drop was gone.
It was relatively easy although a bit time consuming, and I only made minor changes – fresh mozzarella instead of provolone and I used vegetable stock for the sauce.
The best was one guest came in who was just diagnosed with lactose intolerance and a sensitivity to gluten. The stack was very easy to deconstruct for her.
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear that you and your guests enjoyed the chicken and that you were able to take care of your guest with the food allergies.
Happy Holidays
olga
Do you have a recipe for the mushroom sauce to serve separately, as a side dish, with Chicken Sorrento ?
Chef Dennis Littley
You can just cook the chicken without the mushrooms, remove it from the pan and finish the dish in the oven. Then continue with the recipe to make the mushroom sauce separately and serve it on the side.
RavieNomNoms
What a comforting meal chef! Sounds great!
Chef Dennis
Thank you, It was a very tasty and satisfying meal Raven, I hope you get a chance to try it!
Larry
This is a delicious sounding creation and I can see why it moved with you.
Chef Dennis
Thank you Larry, I hope you give it a try
Betty Ann @Mango_Queen
Oh this is so delish! My family will love chicken prepared this way. I will bookmark this and make it for my boys soon. Thanks for sharing & Happy Monday, Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis
Thanks Betty Ann, I struggle with different ways to prepare chicken and this has such a nice blend of flavors, it’s always welcome at my table. I hope boys enjoy it!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
A very interesting recipe, Chef. And I definitely concur with your observations about feeding the family, being a sous chef, dishwasher, etc. A lot of work! 😀
Chef Dennis
Thank you Kiran, I don’t think people without families realize just how much goes into feeding them.