Last night for dinner we had chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and Manchego cheese. It was served with roasted carrots, steamed sugar snap peas, and a fresh mixed green salad topped with strawberries, walnuts, and blue cheese, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
To make the chicken, I first preheated the oven to 450 degrees.
I then pounded out the chicken breast with the smooth side of a meat mallet.
I laid one piece of prosciutto flatly over the chicken breast and, with a vegetable peeler; I thinly sliced 2 or 3 pieces of Manchego over the prosciutto.
I then rolled up the chicken breast like a rug, starting with the narrowest and rolled it towards the other end. I used three tooth picks to keep in closed, one on the top and one holding closed each end, keeping the cheese from oozing out while cooking.
In a heavy cast iron skillet, I heated about a table spoon of olive oil. Once the pan was very hot I added the rolled chicken breast and seared on both sides for about two minutes each.
I turned off the heat and added about 2 cups of chicken broth before putting the pan in the oven, baking the chicken for about twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes I removed the chicken from the pan and cooled for about ten minutes. While the chicken cooled I simmered the remaining broth on low. I added diced green onions and about a tablespoon of red wine letting it simmer for about a minute. I then added a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of AP Flour whisking until it became a golden smooth gravy. I served the gravy over the chicken.
To roast the carrots I first coated them in a light layer of olive oil and add salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence. I roasted the carrots in a deep metal roasting pan at 450 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them. I like mine brown and even a little charred on the outside. I put the carrots in before I start working on the chicken to time out perfectly. The peas were fresh from the Royal Oak Farmer's Market so they needed no help in the flavor department. I just blanched them quickly in hot water and salted and peppered them to taste.
For the salad I used fresh greens from our garden and the first strawberries of the Michigan season bought at the Warren Farmer’s Market. I tossed in raw walnuts, blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.
The smoky prosciutto flavor complimented the tangy melted flavor of the Manchego and the sweetest strawberries of the season went perfectly with the rich balsamic and blue cheese.
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