Aug 153 min read

Rudolph Valentino's Chicken Scallopini

Valentino expert Donna Hill joined me for a discussion and cooking session.

Rudolph Valentino left his homeland of Italy when he was only 18 years old and sought to build a new life in America. After working as a dancer, he found his way into the movies. Due to his exotic looks, he was often typecast as the villain. In 1919 he scored a breakthrough with his performance in the film Eyes of Youth. He was spotted by screenwriter June Mathis who cast him in her WWI epic The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was a star making performance. That same year his film The Sheik would make him an icon. Women around the world went crazy for Valentino. He starred in several silent dramas including Beyond the Rocks with Gloria Swanson, Blood and Sand and The Eagle. He died suddenly of a perforated ulcer while promoting his 1926 sequel The Son of the Sheik. Fans were devastated. Valentino is still a popular star to this day and fans around the world make the pilgrimage to visit his final resting place at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

For Valentino fans, 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of three Valentino films: Monsieur Beaucaire, A Sainted Devil and The Hooded Falcon.

The first time I did a Hollywood Kitchen episode on Valentino, it did not go as planned. I had a ton of technical issues and then the episode was hacked by a spammer. I felt it was high time to re-visit Rudy and try another episode!

Recipe

The recipe is from "Cooking with the Stars: Hollywood's Favorite Recipes" by Jane Sherrod Singer 1970.

Donna said this recipe had a lot of issues and she suggested that we make chicken scallopini. In addition to being Valentino's biographer, Donna is an excellent cook and goes to Italy every year. She KNOWS what she's talking about, so I listened.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup butter, softened

1 clove garlic pressed or chopped

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

salt and ground black pepper to taste

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup white wine or cooking sherry

Directions

Put the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Gently pound the chicken breasts until they have an equal thickness. Dip or dust them in the flour, salt and pepper.

Put butter in skillet and add mushrooms and garlic and stir until they are brown. They mushrooms should emit water.

Then add the chicken to the skillet and pan fry for roughly 6 to 8 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Stir in the white wine or cooking sherry. Cover it and allow it to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

Make sure to flip it over to ensure both sides are cooked. Plate and then serve. You can also top with parmesan cheese and / or parsley flakes.

Since Valentino co-starred with Agnes Ayres in The Sheik, I decided to revisit her recipe for Chocolate Mousse, which is from the cookbook "Favorite Recipes of Famous Women" from 1925. Donna and I explored her life and food in a Hollywood Kitchen episode back in 2022.

Special Guest

Donna Hill is a film historian, researcher and author of the book "Rudolph Valentino The Silent Idol: His Life in Pictures." She serves on the board of the Film Preservation Society, Inc. and blogs at Strictly Vintage. Donna is also an incredible cook and hostess! You can purchase her book online, but I always suggest doing so at a local independent bookstore like Larry Edmunds in Hollywood.