May 3rd, 2024
Hunter Style Chicken
I came across a variation of this dish in the digital cloud somewhere years ago and modified it to make it easier and frankly tastier for a wide range of palates.
This uses as a base Marcella Hazans Basic Tomato Sauce recipe.
Ingredients:
- Basic Tomato Sauce- see previous postings- butter , onion, sea salt, bay leaves, pepperoncini etc use your imagination but keep it simple
- 2 or 4 lean chicken breasts skin off and trimmed
- A mix of panko and italian bread crumbs in a shallow bowl
- Eggs for the breading- whisk in a shallow bowl
- 4-8 slices of the best prosciutto di parma you can afford
- 4-8 slices of real provolone cheese
Preparation:
- In a large skillet simmer the tomato sauce and put it on the side
- Cover the chicken breasts on a cutting board with plastic and pound them thin- if they are very thick butterfly them and pound them into a thinner configuration. A kitchen mallet is a must for all.
- Dip the breasts in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs- if you wanted to season the bread crumbs further some Italian seasoning is fine but keep it simple.
- Fry the breasts in a suitable pan turning not to burn and do it in shifts so you don’t crowd the pan- watch you do not burn them and remove with care and place on paper towels to get the excess oil out. Keep them warm you will be placing them right back into the sauce.
- Place the cooked breasts in the skillet with the tomato sauce and float them like islands. While warm place one or two prosciutto slices on each breast and one or two slices of provolone. Heat briefly on the stove top.
- This should be enough to soften the ham and the cheese- if you need to hit it briefly under the broiler do so. Good prosciutto should always be slightly and gently melted and softened by the heat of the meat do not crisp it- it isn’t bacon. Serve each piece and coat with the great sauce.
Serve with a salad or after a light antipasto. Buon appetito!
