Gruyere, Arugula,
and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce
Stuffing the chicken a day ahead and refrigerating it
makes it easier to sauté.
Chicken:
6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 (1/2-ounce) slices prosciutto
6 (1/2-ounce) slices Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 C trimmed arugula (some reviewers used spinach
instead)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbls all-purpose flour
1 tsp olive oil
Sauce:
1 C thinly sliced shallots
2 tsp tomato paste
2 C dry white wine
2 1/4 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare the chicken, place each chicken breast half
between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a
meat mallet or rolling pin. Discard plastic wrap. Top each chicken breast half
with 1 slice prosciutto, 1 slice cheese, and 1/4 cup arugula, leaving a 1/4-inch
border around edges. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal; sprinkle
with salt and pepper. (The chicken can be prepared up to a day ahead and
refrigerated at this point.)
3. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil
in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes
on each side. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan; bake at 350 degrees for 5
minutes or until done. Keep warm.
4. To prepare sauce, add shallots to skillet; saute 4
minutes over medium-high heat or until browned. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute,
stirring constantly. Stir in wine; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until
reduced to 1 cup (about 6 minutes). Add broth; bring to a boil. Cook until
reduced by half (about 8 minutes).
5. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring
with a fork until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce; bring to a boil. Cook
1 minute, stirring constantly.
YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half
and about 1/4 cup sauce)