Gruyere, Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce
06
There are a lot of mysteries in the food world, like how do liquid egg whites get beaten into stiff peaks? Why do buttered popcorn jelly beans exist? How come every time you drop a piece of toast, the side with the jelly/butter/peanut butter lands on the floor? Was the guy who invented nachos the most brilliant guy ever? And, the biggest one: Why is Swiss cheese awful and Gruyere so good? I will never know.
This chicken dish is a mouthful (both the title and the actual chicken) but it’s not difficult to make. You just stuff the chicken with some of the best things ever – prosciutto, arugula, and gruyere – cook it for a few minutes on the stove top and then while it’s finishing up in the oven (just a few minutes longer) you make a quick shallot sauce in the pan. It’s a meal that’s both easy to make for your family on a weeknight and also works for a dinner party. And the best part is that even though you wouldn’t know it, it’s also pretty healthy for you.
I feel like a broken record saying this, but we all liked this dish. Though I didn’t give him much with his piece, this was Ian’s first time eating prosciutto and he was a fan (rule of thumb: second children always get salty cured meats sooner).
Gruyere, Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light
4 chicken breast halves (about 1-1.25 lbs. total)
4 slices prosciutto
2 oz. of Gruyere, sliced or shredded
1 cup baby arugula
3 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. olive oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cold water
1 tsp. cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350°.
For the chicken, you may either butterfly it or cut a deep pocket in it, or you can place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet.
Stuff or top each chicken breast half with 1 slice prosciutto, 1/2 oz. cheese, and 1/4 cup arugula. Fold over topping, pinching edges together to seal; sseason with salt and pepper.
Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done.
Meanwhile, add shallots to skillet; sauté 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat or until browned. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, scraping up all the browned bits, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup and then add the chicken broth. Continue cooking until reduced by half.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Plate chicken and top each breast with 1/4 of the shallot mixture.
!!!!! That is all. This looks too good for words.
Ok, except I will add that I agree about the buttered popcorn jellybeans… does anyone actually like those?!
I have never heard of buttered popcorn jelly beans. Since I am not that fond of jelly beans to start with, I am going to forgo and further research. Lol. Now this recipe on the other hand deserves in depth research—-like cooking it and eating it. I am intrigued with the use of arugula as the greens. I think its under used. It has such a wonderful snap to it.
So true about swiss and gruyere. Gruyere is just dreamy…swiss – not so much. Lucky second child getting to eat these fancy foods so early!!
I totally agree with your ponderings on popcorn jelly beans (blech!), nachos, and gruyere. I’m amazed that you can shop, prep and cook dinners like this with two small beings to care for! I can handle the basic pantry staples for meals during the week but would never have gruyere when I’d want it without a special trip to the store.
We only had it because I wanted it for a different dish, and there were leftovers. 🙂 It’s not something I buy regularly because it’s SO expensive!
I think it is true about the second child and cured meats, that’s definitely the case in my house too. This looks really delicious, and pretty simple too. I like the addition of arugula in the filling. Yum! : )