Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Stuffed With Herb Ricotta Food

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using a small knife, make an incision in the top rounded end of a chicken breast, cutting through the center and to the ends without breaking the sides, to form a pocket for the stuffing.
• Combine the tomatoes, ricotta, walnuts, sage and egg yolk in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Using a spoon (or place the filling into a piping bag without a tip), stuff one of the chicken breasts with half of the ricotta mixture. Seal the cut end of the chicken closed using a toothpick. Repeat with the other chicken breast.
• Lay the prosciutto into 2 sheets (3 pieces each) and roll around each stuffed breast. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat the canola oil in a large, ovenproof saute pan until almost smoking. Sear the chicken breasts on the seam side of the prosciutto, then flip and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the center of the chicken registers 160 degrees F, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pan, add the capers and shallots and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute to soften the shallots. Add the chicken stock and cook until reduced by half, then swirl in the butter. Add the parsley and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce over the top.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN INVOLTINI WITH PEAS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the peas to a bowl and begin to mash them with the back of a fork until they are mostly broken down. Add the ricotta and use the fork to blend and mash them together. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest, chile flakes, garlic powder and onion powder and stir to combine. Set the mixture aside while you prepare the chicken.
• Place the chicken cutlets between 2 pieces of parchment paper and pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are 1/4-inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide the pea and ricotta mixture evenly among the chicken cutlets, smoothing it out to cover the surface area.
• Working one at a time, starting with the large end of the cutlet, roll the chicken up in a continuous spiral. Place the chicken on a plate seam-side down and continue the process with the remaining chicken.
• Shingle 3 slices of prosciutto so they slightly overlap. Place one piece of chicken about a third of the way up from the bottom of the prosciutto. Similarly to wrapping a burrito, bring the base of the prosciutto up over the chicken, roll the chicken once, then fold in the ends of the prosciutto, so that the ends of the chicken are covered, and continue to roll until the chicken is completely wrapped in the prosciutto. Set aside and continue the process with the remaining chicken.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add the prosciutto-wrapped chicken to the skillet and sear it on all sides. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the prosciutto is golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED STUFFED CHICKEN WITH HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Measure the ricotta cheese into a small bowl. Add in parsley, sage, rosemary and garlic. Add in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir well to blend.
• Butterfly each chicken breast and fill each with a fourth of the ricotta cheese mixture. Wrap each chicken breast in a slice of the proscuitto di Parma.
• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil to an ovenproof skillet. Warm over medium high heat. Add in prepared chicken breasts and brown, turning once for 4 to 6 minutes. Place the pan with the chicken in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from pan, deglaze the pan with chicken stock, add in lemon juice, butter and additional stock as needed to make a sauce. Spoon over chicken.
• This is delicious served with oven roasted asparagus and makes and elegant but simple meal.

FLORENTINE PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Wring out defrosted spinach in clean kitchen towel.
• Toast nuts and combine with spinach in a bowl, mix in cheeses, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cut into and across but not all the way through the chicken breasts, opening them up like a book with a sharp knife. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill each with a small mound of stuffing. Flap chicken breasts back over stuffing and wrap each breast with prosciutto to seal them, carefully covering the whole breast. Brush chicken all over with some extra-virgin olive oil and roast 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet, and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallots, and cook until they turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook and stir an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the shallot mixture to a bowl. Mix in the goat cheese, dates, and basil; stir until well combined.
• With a sharp knife, cut a 1-inch long slit into the thick side of each chicken breast. Work your fingers into the slit, and expand the slit to form a pocket in the breast meat. With your fingers or a spoon, stuff each chicken breast with about 1/4 cup of the goat cheese mixture. Wipe off any cheese mixture from the outside of the chicken breast, and wrap each breast in a slice of prosciutto so that the pocket opening is covered. Place the chicken breasts, seam sides down, onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken meat is no longer pink and the prosciutto is browned and crisp, about 40 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over after 20 minutes.

RICOTTA-AND-HERB-STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in middle and lower third.
• Cook garlic in oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in ricotta, eggs, parmesan, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Stuff and roast chickens:
• Cut out backbones from chickens with kitchen shears (freeze bones for making stock if desired). Pat chickens dry, then spread flat, skin sides up, on a cutting board. Cut a 1/2-inch slit on each side of chicken in center of triangle of skin between thigh and breast (near drumstick), then tuck knob of each drumstick thourough slit.
• Sprinkle each chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and spread chickens flat, skin sides up, in an oiled large (17- by 12-inch) shallow baking pan. Gently slide your finger between skin and flesh of breast and legs of 1 chicken to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Using a small spoon, slide 2/3 cup ricotta mixture under skin, using a finger on outside of skin to spread filling over meat of breast, thighs, and drumsticks. Tuck wing tips under. Stuff second chicken in same manner. Brush skin of chickens all over with oil (2 tablespoons) and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Spoon remaining filling into an oiled 1-quart shallow baking dish (10 by 7 inches).
• Bake chickens in middle of oven 30 minutes, then put dish of stuffing in oven on lower rack. Continue baking until chicken is just cooked thourough and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (through stuffing; do not touch bone) registers 170°F and until gratin is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let chickens stand 10 minutes, then cut each into quarters. Serve with gratin.