The Chicken Breast Valdostana Style is a quick recipe guaranteed to cook chicken breast in a different way than usual, using simple ingredients that are accessible to everyone: chicken breast slices, cooked ham, and fontina cheese (or fontal). The process is very simple: the chicken slices are lightly floured and briefly cooked scallopini-style, similar to the saltimbocca alla romana. However, unlike the latter, cooked ham, fontina, and an optional sage leaf are added only at the end of cooking, and it continues cooking just long enough to melt the cheese. This way, the chicken remains tender, juicy, and stringy: a truly irresistible dish that children often enjoy too!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Aosta Valley
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 494.01 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 3.06 (g) of which sugars 0.52 (g)
- Proteins 61.32 (g)
- Fat 25.62 (g) of which saturated 13.40 (g)of which unsaturated 8.91 (g)
- Fibers 0.19 (g)
- Sodium 840.71 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 245 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Chicken Breast Valdostana Style
If you are celiac, besides using gluten-free cooked ham, you can replace all-purpose flour with rice flour or gluten-free cornstarch.
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast (in slices)
- 6.4 oz cooked ham
- 7.1 oz fontina (or fontal)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or rice flour/cornstarch gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- A few leaves sage (optional)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 0.7 oz butter
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Plate
- 1 Pan non-stick, large (12.6 inches approx.)
- 1 Lid
How to Prepare Chicken Breast Valdostana Style
To prepare the Chicken Breast Valdostana Style, you will need slices of chicken breast of normal thickness, neither too thin nor too thick. Pour the flour into a plate and lightly flour them on both sides (1), shaking them to remove excess flour. Cut the cheese into thin slices or buy it pre-sliced. Heat in a large pan the butter and the oil (2) and when they are very hot, place the chicken breast slices (3).
Let them cook over medium flame for about a minute, then turn them (4) and season with salt and pepper. Let them cook on the other side for about a minute. Then increase the heat to maximum and deglaze with white wine (5). Let it evaporate, then reduce the heat to medium intensity and cover the pan with a lid (6).
Cook the chicken breast for 5-6 minutes, until fully cooked (7). Then remove the lid and cover each chicken slice with some cooked ham (8) and some fontina (9).
Finish with a sage leaf (10). Cover again with the lid and let it cook over low heat for about a minute, just long enough to melt the cheese (11).
Turn off the heat and serve the Chicken Breast Valdostana Style immediately, drizzled with a bit of its cooking sauce.
Storage
The Chicken Valdostana should be enjoyed freshly made, but if any is left, you can store it in the fridge, in a glass container, for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
For cooking the Chicken Valdostana, I used a bit of butter and extra virgin olive oil. You can choose to use just one, increasing the amounts as needed.
