Yesterday morning, I pulled some boneless chicken thighs out of the freezer with the idea of doing something with them for dinner. My original though was to make some sort of stir fry but, when dinner time approached, stir fry no longer held the allure it did previously.
That left me sitting on the floor in front of my bookcase full of cookbooks (I think I may have a problem…) desperately trying to find something to make. Boneless chicken thighs aren’t exactly common in cookbooks but to add to the difficulty was the fact that we were out of eggs which made a breadcrumb coating impossible.
In the end, I decided to be adventuresome and forgo a recipe. This is a bit unusual for me. Normally I like the comfort and safety of a recipe (not that that’s a guarantee of success; Will can attest to my pumpkin pie failure). I also don’t find myself to be particularly creative or good at finding compatible ingredients (I think that means I wouldn’t be a particularly good chef).
While looking through the cookbooks, I had decided that some sort of rolled and stuffed would be preferable. So, heading to the fridge, I tried to figure out exactly what I could stuff the chicken with. Prosciutto is an obvious choice as what doesn’t go well with prosciutto? Parmesan cheese would be a good complement (I had originally though of using provolone but Angela isn’t a big fan of it and it can be a bit strong). Finally, I went through some of the fresh herbs that I’ve accumulated recently and settled on thyme and savory (mainly because I wasn’t entirely sure of the taste of savory).
In the end, the chicken turned out pretty well. The only problem was that it took longer than I expected and that there were a bit too many herbs (the recipe here presents a reduced amount). The sauce it’s cooked also cooked down a bit much so there wasn’t any for pouring but the chicken didn’t need it.
Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto, Herbs, and Cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 slice prosciutto
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only, diced
1 sprig savory, leaves only, diced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
4 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup white wine or vermouth
1 cup chicken stock
- Spread the chicken thighs flat and season the inside with salt and pepper. Place one slice of prosciutto on each chicken thigh and then sprinkle with cheese and herbs. Roll up the chicken thighs along the longest axis. Tie in two places with butcher’s twine or secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine or vermouth, scrapping up any brown bits. Add the chicken stock and return the chicken. Cover and simmer until the chicken reaches 165ºF, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and top with the sun-dried tomatoes. Cut the butcher’s twine on the chicken or remove the tooth picks.
Serves 2.
two yolks 