Chef Peter Sokolski of Cactus Blue Mexican Restaurant grew up in a home with great cooks. “My Polish grandmother would make pierogi and they were always my favorite,” he shares. “My dad is a great cook and my mom is a baker.” As a teenager he worked as a dishwasher for a caterer, but it wasn't until college that he decided to change his trajectory and took a leap in another direction opposite of his criminal justice major. Sokolski took a job as a sous chef at a restaurant in Doylestown and hasn't left the kitchen since.
“What I love most about working in a kitchen is the camaraderie. Knowing the people around you have your back is the greatest—and so is the food,” he laughs. “We are a small family at Cactus Blue. Owner Adam Gangewere is the best in the business and Milo Sanchez-Linares is my right-hand man.” Here, he is sharing his recipe for Chicken Torta Milanese. “I am a busy husband and a dad of two young daughters, and on Sunday game days I love making these chicken sandwiches,” he says. “I can prep them in advance and top them however my family wants them. My girls love chicken parmesan and I make them like that often, but today I am sharing a bit of a twist with spicy pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado.”
Sokolski is inspired by the flavors and ingredients he comes across and utilizes them in new weekly specials at the Emmaus restaurant. “I have been developing a delicious pumpkin flan for our winter menu. It tastes just like pumpkin pie and it's out of this world.”
Sokolski's love of flavorful food made with fresh ingredients and his culinary creativity is a trademark of Cactus Blue's beloved restaurant and food truck.
4030 Chestnut St., Emmaus | 610.814.3000 | cactusblue.biz
Ingredients & Instructions
Chicken breast, sliced and pounded thin
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. paprika
Torta or ciabatta roll, cut in half and toasted
Sour cream mixed with freshly-squeezed lime juice (to taste)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded white cabbage (the thinner the better)
Avocado, sliced to your preferred thickness
Tomato, sliced to your preferred thickness
Cilantro, chopped
Red onion, diced
Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise and pound until thin. (To decrease the mess while preparing, it helps to place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap, and use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to gently pound it thin.) Dip the chicken in the flour, then the beaten eggs and finally in the panko breadcrumbs mixed with the salt, pepper, granulated garlic and paprika.
Cook the chicken. Cook the breaded chicken in a pan with hot oil (about 4 Tbsp. to coat the bottom of the pan) until lightly browned on both sides, and cooked throughout (chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
Assemble the torta. Slice your roll in half and toast it. Spread a thick layer of the sour cream mixture on both sides of your roll. Place the chicken on the bottom half and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Melt the cheese under your broiler until lightly golden brown. Top the melted cheese with your shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, sliced tomato and finish with the cilantro and red onion. Sandwich the roll together and cut in half.
Serve. Include a side of your favorite salsa and pickled vegetables. Enjoy!
Published as “Beyond the Menu” in the December 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
