Chicken
Three Ways

Chef Troy Gagliardo shares how
to spice up the poultry in your life

by Lori K. Tate    |     photography by Glenn Roberson

Prosciutto Fontina Chicken
with Mushroom Basil Sauce

Ingredients for chicken

4 each     Chicken breast, boneless and skinless

                         about five ounces each

To taste     Kosher salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons  Olive Oil, plus extra if needed

4 each     Prosciutto slices, thin sliced

4 each     Fontina cheese, medium sliced or eight ounces shredded

Ingredients for sauce

1 pound            Button mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons  Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon    Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon    Black pepper

1 tablespoon    All-purpose flour

1 cup               Chicken stock

1/2 cup             White wine

1/2 each           Lemon, juice of

1 tablespoon    Butter

6 each              Basil Leaves, rough chopped

Instructions

For the chicken, wrap a cutting board in plastic warp and tear off an extra piece longer than the length of the cutting board. Place a chicken breast on the cutting board with the side up that had the skin, it will be smoother than the other side. Place the extra piece of plastic wrap on top of the chicken breast and with a meat mallet or tenderizer using the flat side, gently but firmly begin to pound the breast starting at the thickest end and continuing around the breast until the breast is about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. If the chicken starts to break apart you are hitting the chicken too firmly. The objective is to flatten the breast and keep it in tact with itself. The chicken will become a much larger surface area and a more uniform thickness, which will allow for even cooking.

Warm olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in batches, two at a time, sauté just long enough to lightly brown both sides, about two minutes per side. Remove from the pan, leave pan to make the sauce and place on a foil-lined baking sheet, top with a slice of Fontina cheese and prosciutto, per heat oven on broil.

For the sauce, warm the olive oil in the pan that you sautéed the chicken in over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms until soft about five minutes and add the flour, stir to coat.

Add chicken stock, wine and lemon juice, raise heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce reduces by half and slightly thickens, about 10 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter and basil, stir until butter melts and let stand while finishing the chicken.

To finish the dish, place the sheet tray with the chicken on it in the preheated oven on the middle rack and broil just long enough to melt the cheese, golden and gooey.

Remove chicken from the oven and place on individual plates or one large serving platter. Stir the sauce and spoon over the chicken and serve.

Serves four as an entrée.

Chef Troy’s Notes

“This is so good, and it’s so easy. And it teaches another technique, how to make a gravy without using a cream. You’re basically making a roux. That’s the kind of thing I’ve started doing with mushrooms. I like mushrooms, but I don’t want to use a whole lot of cream because it makes it real heavy. After you sauté the mushrooms, you throw in some flour and chicken stock, and it thickens it up like gravy so it almost gives it the appearance of being real heavy and creamlike, but it’s actually really light. The butter at the end just gives it a little richness.”

Lake Norman Currents Magazine, P.O. Box 1676, Cornelius NC 28031, phone 704-749-8788, fax 888-887-1431

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THE SCOOP

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Children of All Ages airs this month on WTVI on Saturday, November 6 at 10 p.m.