It's hard to believe, but the holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is just eight days away. No joke. Where in the world did the time go this year?
This time of year if full of gatherings, both large and fancy and small and casual, so it's always a good idea to have a few tried-and-true recipes in your back pocket that are sure to impress a crowd of any size. With so much to do in the coming weeks, a recipe gets bonus points if it looks and tastes fancy but is actually really easy to pull together.
This is one of those recipes. Chicken breasts get the full treatment by being pounded out, layered with prosciutto, cheese, and basil, then rolled up, browned, and finished off in the oven. When sliced and laid on a bed of sautéed mushrooms, you've got a dish that is sure to wow your guests. If you really want to go for the win, you could call it "chicken-prosciutto roulade," which is fancy culinary talk for chicken that's stuffed with yummy things and rolled up. Go ahead and call it that! Don't worry--I won't tell your husband's boss or your mother-in-law how easy this is. Your secret is safe with me.
Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken with Sautéed Mushrooms
adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2012
Ingredients:
4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
2 TBSP olive oil, divided
6 c. mixed mushrooms (crimini and chanterelle work well)
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 thin slices prosciutto
8 large, thin slices creamy cheese (gouda, gruyere, and provolone are all good options)
20 large or 32 medium basil leaves
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
3 TBSP chopped parsley
Directions:
1. Heat 2 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When melted, swirl pan to coat and add mushrooms. Let cook five minutes, stirring once. Salt and pepper then, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to sauté, stirring occasionally, while you prepare chicken.
2. Butterfly chicken breasts (slice horizontally, leaving one long side attached), lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top, and pound until 1/4" thick. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Lay out pounded chicken breasts and top each with 2 slices prosciutto, 2 slices cheese, and one-fourth basil leaves, leaving a 1/2-in. border. Roll up each breast and secure with kitchen twine.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 TBSP butter and remaining 1 TBSP oil in another large, ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and cook 7-8 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of chicken registers 165 degrees F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
5. When chicken is done resting, add remaining TBSP butter, vinegar, and 2 TBSP parsley to mushrooms.
6. To serve, slice chicken breasts 1/2-in. thick. On each of four plates, make a bed of sautéed mushrooms. Arrange chicken slices on top of mushrooms. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
This time of year if full of gatherings, both large and fancy and small and casual, so it's always a good idea to have a few tried-and-true recipes in your back pocket that are sure to impress a crowd of any size. With so much to do in the coming weeks, a recipe gets bonus points if it looks and tastes fancy but is actually really easy to pull together.
This is one of those recipes. Chicken breasts get the full treatment by being pounded out, layered with prosciutto, cheese, and basil, then rolled up, browned, and finished off in the oven. When sliced and laid on a bed of sautéed mushrooms, you've got a dish that is sure to wow your guests. If you really want to go for the win, you could call it "chicken-prosciutto roulade," which is fancy culinary talk for chicken that's stuffed with yummy things and rolled up. Go ahead and call it that! Don't worry--I won't tell your husband's boss or your mother-in-law how easy this is. Your secret is safe with me.
adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2012
Ingredients:
4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
2 TBSP olive oil, divided
6 c. mixed mushrooms (crimini and chanterelle work well)
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 thin slices prosciutto
8 large, thin slices creamy cheese (gouda, gruyere, and provolone are all good options)
20 large or 32 medium basil leaves
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
3 TBSP chopped parsley
Directions:
1. Heat 2 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When melted, swirl pan to coat and add mushrooms. Let cook five minutes, stirring once. Salt and pepper then, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to sauté, stirring occasionally, while you prepare chicken.
2. Butterfly chicken breasts (slice horizontally, leaving one long side attached), lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top, and pound until 1/4" thick. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Lay out pounded chicken breasts and top each with 2 slices prosciutto, 2 slices cheese, and one-fourth basil leaves, leaving a 1/2-in. border. Roll up each breast and secure with kitchen twine.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 TBSP butter and remaining 1 TBSP oil in another large, ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and cook 7-8 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of chicken registers 165 degrees F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
5. When chicken is done resting, add remaining TBSP butter, vinegar, and 2 TBSP parsley to mushrooms.
6. To serve, slice chicken breasts 1/2-in. thick. On each of four plates, make a bed of sautéed mushrooms. Arrange chicken slices on top of mushrooms. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.