food
Chicken Florentine Wrapped in Smoked Prosciutto
Stuffed with a ricotta cheese and spinach mix and wrapped in smoked prosciutto, this chicken is good from the inside out.
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach, divided
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 6 chicken breasts
- 12 slices speck (smoked prosciutto)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- For the sauce:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sherry
Steps
- Make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium frying pan, wilt three-fourths of the spinach, reserving about a handful. Transfer to a sieve to drain and cool.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Fold in cooked spinach.
- On a flat surface, cut chicken breasts in half, but not all the way through, opening them up like a book. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill each with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese and spinach mixture. Fold the breasts back together and wrap them in pancetta to seal them. Brush the chicken all over with olive oil, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Make the sauce: In a large skillet, cook tomatoes in olive oil until blistered. Remove and set aside. Add onions and saute in butter for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Gradually add flour and salt and stir in milk and sherry until combined. Heat until bubbling, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. Add remaining spinach and wilt. Add chicken, return tomatoes to the pan and serve.