Proscuitto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast

Revised 2015 Sep 01

Chicken filled with spinach, basil, and mushroom, wrapped in proscuitto and cooked in a tomato sauce.

4 servings

Ingredients

2 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups mushrooms, chopped
10 ounces spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 ounces Grana Padano, grated
10 slices proscuitto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
20 ounces whole tomatoes, chopped with liquid
8 ounces passata
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried summer savory
1 teaspoon fish sauce , to taste
fresh pepper, to taste

Preparation

Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound flat between two pieces of cling film. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Meanwhile heat the butter and oil in a skillet. Cook the mushrooms until all of the moisture is released and has evaporated. Add the spinach and basil and cook till the moisture has evaporated. Cool and chop in a food processor till nearly puréed.

Arrange the strips of proscuitto on the wrapping paper so that there is enough ham to cover the widest part of the chicken.

Remove the top layer of film from the chicken and spread enough of the mushroom/spinach mixture to form a 3/16" - 1/4" layer keeping back 3/4" from the widest edge. Top with half of the grated cheese.

Starting at the narrowest edge roll up the chicken using the bottom sheet of film to help. Take care not to squeeze out the filling. When the roll is complete carefully place it on the bottom of the proscuitto strips (the strips will be perpendicular to the roll) and roll up in the ham. Carefully transfer to a sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Sauce:

Sauté the onions in the oil till softened then add garlic and anchovies. Cook for another two minutes or so then add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes. Taste and adjust as required.

When the sauce is nearly ready sear the chicken on all sides in a hot skillet. Add the chicken to the pan with the sauce (or a baking dish if the pan isn't appropriate) then bake at 350°For 30 minutes

----------
The mushroom/spinach/basil mixture makes a nice lunch with a knob of butter and a splash of white wine before taking it out of the pan.Served this with cheese tortellini and a Caesar salad.

Free JavaScripts for ingredient popup provided by
The JavaScript Source