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!
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Chicken Sorrento
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 eggplant peeled and sliced thinly longways about ¼ inch thick – 4 cutlets are needed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs Italian style bread crumbs or season plain bread crumbs with granulated garlic, granulated onion, chopped parsley and grated Romano cheese
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten with ¼ cup of water added to make your egg wash
- ¼ water
- ½ cup olive oil to saute eggplant cutlets- more if needed
Chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil to saute chicken breasts, more if needed
- 1 pound 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each breast)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 cup sliced mushrooms (add more oil to saute mushrooms if needed)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 ounce splash of white wine
- ½ tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp granulated onion
- ½ tsp black pepper
Assembly
- 1½ cup marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
- 2 ounces prosciutto sliced very thin
- 2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
- ¼ lb provolone cheese thin slices – 2 slices for each portion
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Dredge the eggplant cutlets in flour, then in egg wash, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to fully coat the eggplant in each of the steps of the breading station.
- 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.
Chicken
- Add about two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and allow to get hot over medium high heat
- Dredge the chicken breasts in flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper, then place into pan with hot oil, sear one side of the chicken and turn it over to saute the other side. At this time add the sliced mushrooms to the pan.*If chicken breast is too thick, pound it thin with a meat hammer. if its too thick it will be hard to eat.
- 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 the chicken stock, seasonings and mix well. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Assembly
- Place the fried eggplant cutlets on a baking dish, add a few spoons of marinara sauce on top of the eggplant.
- Place the sauteed chicken breasts on top of the eggplant. Add the thinly sliced proscuito on top of the chicken.
- Add mushrooms and some of the sauce from the pan to each portion ( see pictures)
- Top with grated romano cheese, then place the provolone cheese slices on top of each sorrento and place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes
- Garnish the portions with the pan sauce, fresh chopped Italian parsley and serve with your favorite pasta or side dish.
Nancy
Another fabulous recipe! I made half the recipe for two (with a leftover stack for lunch the next day). I did take me longer to prep & cook it but with some practice, I’m sure I’ll get the time down. Served it with rice; My husband was wowed. We are loving your restaurant quality recipes & enjoying retirement cooking at the next level! Thanks Chef Dennis!
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.