Look At What the Wave Brought In -- Chicken, Prosciutto and Parmesan Cheese!

Most kids love the beach.  I was not one of those kids.  To me, sand was a gritty annoyance that got everywhere.  And the idea of swimming with other, strange creatures--creatures that were slimy or could bite--was less than charming.  And then there was the weirdnesson the ocean floor... yeah, I wasn't feeling that either.

Despite all of this, I distinctly recall one very special day at the beach.  On that fateful day, two very important things happened to me.  One: I learned never EVER open your mouth when a big wave is approaching as, despite my mom's claims to the contrary, the wave can and will dump salty water in your mouth.  Ewww!  And two:  Aunt Dorothy made awesomely amazing and divine chicken.

I'm sure the dish had a real name, but from that day forward, it was always known as "Aunt Dorothy's Chicken."  What made this chicken so darned delicious?  For one thing, it had the two Ps: Parmesan cheese and prosciutto.  And then the rolled majesty was placed in a heavenly wine sauce.  It was deliciousness on a plate!  I must have talked about it nonstop, because my mom eventually got the recipe and made it for me on special occasions.

Unfortunately, the recipe was lost somewhere along the lines (wahhhhhh!).  Since the flavors were emblazened in my memories and taste buds, I was able to recreate my favorite chicken from childhood, and even added a few of my own special twists.  So now I can make Aunt Dorothy's Chicken for myself on any occasion!

Oh, and besides making some amazing chicken, Aunt Dorothy is an awesome woman!

Aunt Dorothy's Chicken

Ingredients

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin (to about 1/8 thick or use thin cut breasts), about 1 1/2 lbs
- 3 eggs + 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs (seasoned)
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 thin slices of prosciutto
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock- 2 1/2 cups white wine, divided

Directions

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thickness.  (Be careful to avoid rips and tears when you are pounding.)  Mix eggs and eggs yolks, add grated parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and mix into a loose paste.

Lay a slice of prosciutto over each chicken breast.  Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of egg-parm-breadcrumb paste over the prosciutto slices.

Placing the chicken the long way, roll the chicken jelly roll style.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  (This will convince the chicken to stay all nicely rolled throughout the cooking process without meddling with toothpicks.)  Let them sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  (You can prepare the dish through this step and let the chicken roulades sit in the refrigerator all day until you are ready to prepare dinner.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Using a large pan, heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.  Remove chicken from refrigerator and carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Gently roll chicken roulades in flour, dusting off excess flour.  After the butter melts, add chicken.  Let brown on each side.  (This goes pretty quickly, so keep an eye on them.)   When they are golden brown and lovely, turn off heat and add 1 cup of white wine to the pan.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place in oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is in oven, make the sauce.  In a small sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add diced shallots and cook until tender.  Add remaining wine and stock, bring to boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. When chicken comes out of the oven, add sauce to chicken pan.  With a wooden spoon, scrape any lovely brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Serve with Jasmine rice.  

Thanks, Aunt Dorothy!