Stuffed Chicken Rolls
Submitted by: JustRightMenus
Description:
A very high-presentation meal, this has become a Fancy Dinner Night favorite at our house.
It's pretty simple to cut this recipe in half to cook for 2 - or leave it at 4 servings & ask the neighbors over!
The cookbook was a gift from my parents, and I got to make this meal for my mom and my inlaws in summer '08 when mom came to visit. Much fun.
Servings: 4
Categories: chicken, fancy dinner night, rice, ricotta
From the kitchen of:
500 Best Ever Recipes: Mediterranean (Anness Publishing Ltd 2007), page 131
Ingredients
4 servings chicken breast, boneless skinless
2 TB butter
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/4 c. cooked white rice
3 TB ricotta cheese
2 TB chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp dried tarragon (or 1 tsp fresh, if you have it!)
3-4 slices Parma ham (aka Prosciutto) ... a word to the wise: You can ask the deli for only 4 slices, really. The $/lb is high, and they'll look at you like you're crazy, but with only 4 slices, the deli bill will be counted in change. I think it's under 50 cents. Seriously.
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (or cooking sherry)
Serve with:
Cooked tagliatele (or whatever kind of pasta you like) and sauteed mushrooms
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°
Melt 2 tsp or so of the butter in a small pan and fry the garlic for a few seconds **without**browning.** Spoon the garlic into a bowl, add the rice, ricotta, parsley, and tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to mix.
Flatten chicken - Place each chicken breast in turn between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten by beating lightly but firmly with a rolling pin or steak mallet.
Lay a slice of Parma ham over each chicken breast, trimming the ham to fit.
Place a spoonful of the rice stuffing at the wider end of each ham-topped breast. Roll up carefully and tie in place with string. I have found that string wound up and then back down works best ... even better is having someone to help you do this. One person holds the chicken, the other winds the string.
Heat the oil and the remaining butter in a frying pan and lightly fry the chicken rolls until browned on all sides. Place side by side in a shallow baking dish, and pour the wine over them.
Cover the dish with parchment paper and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Saute the mushrooms in the last 5-8 minutes of cook time.
Cut the rolls into slices and serve on a bed of pasta (tagliatelle recommended but I can't ever find it in the store) and sauteed mushrooms. Garnish with sprigs of flat parsley.