February 15: Prosciutto, Garlic, and Herb Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Tarragon Pan Sauce

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
   Large plastic food storage bags or wax paper
4 slices prosciutto di Parma
4 ounces (1/2 cup) garlic and herb cheese, such as Boursin
   Toothpicks
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves
   Green salad

Place a chicken breast in the center of a plastic food storage bag or 2 large sheets of wax paper. Pound out the chicken from the center of the bag outward using a heavy-bottomed skillet or mallet. Be firm but controlled with your strokes. Repeat with the 3 remaining chicken breasts.

Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each pounded chicken breast. Place a quarter of the garlic and herb cheese on top of each prosciutto slice.

Wrap and roll the chicken over the stuffing. Secure the meat with toothpicks. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Season the stuffed and rolled chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the breasts to the pan and brown on all sides, cooking for 10 to 12 minutes.

The meat will cook quickly because it is thin. Remove the breasts; add the butter to the pan, then the flour.

Cook for a minute, whisk in the wine, and reduce for another minute.

Whisk in the stock and tarragon and return the chicken to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until ready to serve. Remove the toothpicks. Serve the chicken breasts whole or sliced with the salad alongside.

4 SERVINGS

This is a nice fancy way to cook chicken. The cheese was delicious. The problems were that some of my chicken breasts were too big, so they didn't get cooked in the very middle. I had to stick them in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking them. And it took a long time to pound out the chicken. I think if you used smaller breasts, that would solve both problems. I really have no way to tell how many ounces each one is. Maybe I should get a scale.

I used laughing cow cheese. And I changed the recipe to say use dried tarragon instead of fresh, so you don't have to waste your money on a whole bunch of fresh herbs that you're only going to use a little bit of (and I can't find fresh tarragon in the store).