I’m pretty convinced that adding prosciutto (and/or truffle oil) to a dish guarantees that it will be spectacular. That was definitely the case for this recipe (no truffle oil involved this time though). Prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast topped with Fontina cheese, crushed tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a white wine tomato cream sauce.
Are you still with me? I can continue describing the braised lentils served alongside the chicken, but I don’t want to make you drool too much.
I went home again this weekend and made my mom and brother, Matt, this meal for dinner. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen Matt eat a meal that fast–and that’s saying a lot. We all gave this dish four forks…plus a few more.
Kristy, I think Miss A and Mr. N would give it four forks as well. :)
Braised lentils recipe:
2 cups brown lentils
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, trimmed and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups finely shredded fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and drained
Directions:
Pour enough cold water over the lentils, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves in a 3-quart saucepan to cover by three fingers. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the water is at a gentle boil and cook until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaves, and transfer to a large skillet.
Pour in the chicken stock and olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced enough to coat the lentils, about 3 minutes. Scatter the spinach over the lentils and toss just until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.
Recipe:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package (4 oz.) Citterio prosciutto, fat removed (from Trader Joe’s)
All-purpose flour
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup seeded and crushed canned Italian tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 oz. Italian Fontina cheese, sliced thin
2 tbsp. additional seeded and crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Dried parsley, for garnish, if desired
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove veins and tendons from chicken breasts, then pound each breast. Place a piece of prosciutto over each chicken breast, trimming and layering each so it covers the chicken breasts as neatly as possible. Using the back of a large knife, gently pound the prosciutto into the chicken so it adheres. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour to coat them lightly and tap off any excess flour.
Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet with an ovenproof handle until the butter is foaming. Place in the skillet as many of the chicken pieces, prosciutto side down, as will fit without touching. Cook just until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Repeat, if necessary with the remaining chicken breasts, removing the browned chicken to make room. Adjust the heat as you work so the chicken doesn’t burn or stick in places.
Add all chicken back to the pan. Pour the wine into the skillet and shake gently to dislodge any brown bits that stick to the pan. Boil until reduced by half. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and distribute the crushed tomatoes and remaining 2 tbsp. butter in between the pieces of chicken. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering, tilting the skillet to mix the sauce. Drape the sliced Fontina over the chicken pieces to cover them completely. Dot the center of each chicken breast with a small mound of crushed tomatoes and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven, finish the braised lentils.
Very carefully remove the pan to the stovetop and let stand a minute or two before serving.
Spoon a mound of lentils onto the center of a warm dinner plate, top with a chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce around the lentils. Garnish with dried parsley, if desired.
Recipe from Epicurious.
Wow, this sounds totally amazing. What a perfect meal for when the weather gets cold. I always forget to cook with lentils, but I really like them. I will definitely be trying this soon. It’s like a grown-up chicken parm :)
Thanks Amy! You’re right, it’s very similar to a chicken parm…but even tastier. ;)
Mmm. Reminds me of Spain – lentils really are all the rage there!
I’m sure they’re much better there though, ha!
Yeah Spain was lentil-mania. All that DELICIOUS food…and looking for other ways to describe food rather than with the word delicious…haha…Maybe I’ll look into writing obituaries….haha…meanwhile…CAROLINE…teach us how to acquire patience to cook like you do and more importantly…HOW DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS!!!!…i’d have to make 10 grocery store stops just to keep up with your week…HELP!!!
This is really lovely cooking. Love lentils with anything and the chicken sounds sublime.
mary x
Thank you Mary!
Agreed, heaven on a plate for sure!
How special of you to cook this for your family.
Have a happy week.
:-) Mandy
They were very happy campers. My dad whined a bit to us since he was on a plane and didn’t get to enjoy the dinner. I promised him I’d make it again very soon. :)
I really wanted to tease and ask if there was any chicken under all those fabulous flavors (I am a smarty pants)…
But my heavens this looks phenomenal. You are certainly loving that truffle oil. I have yet to try it. I will get around to it I am sure, but WOW!!! And the lentils too!!!
We may never know….ha! This recipe didn’t have any truffle oil, I was just expressing my obsession with it yet again, but it sure had prosciutto. Mmm!
This dish looks fantastic, especially those yummy lentils!
The lentils were delicious, and healthy too!
This does look HEAVENLY!
Thanks Angie! xx
You got my attention when you mentioned prosciutto. What a great dish! I’m a big fan of lentils and can’t wait to try this preparation. Thanks for sharing!
Right? I can’t get enough of prosciutto, particularly the brand I used in this recipe. You can buy it at Trader Joe’s. It was super thin, silky…delicious!
Caroline, thank you so much for the shout-out! I know I would certainly give this a full rating and I’m guessing the kids would as well!!! I’m definitely making this one and soon. This totally reminds me of one of my favorite dishes at this little restaurant in the city that we go to for special occasions only better because your’s uses prosciutto instead of ham. I LOVE it! I’ve also developed an attraction to pancetta lately – YUM!
Of course! I instantly thought of your spoon/fork ratings as I was writing it, so I only felt it necessary to give you some credit. :) I definitely think the prosciutto takes this dish to another level. Ah yes, and don’t even get me started on pancetta, ha! I’m sure I’ll be cooking with it soon.
Caroline, it looks so tender and juicy!! How lucky your family is! I love the combination of proscuitto, chicken and tomatoes with all that gooey cheese!!
The gooey cheese was my favorite part….you can never have enough cheese, right? I won’t even try to describe how delicious the kitchen smelled!
Love this dish. I remember when I was younger, I never used to eat lentils. Now all I want to eat are lentils.
I wasn’t adventurous with food at all when I was young. But honestly, I still wouldn’t consider myself very daring!
What a fabulous looking, filling, hearty meal and truffle oil for that touch of luxury… mmm :D Plus, lentils are like little green/brown/yellow clods of gold in my opinion – so delicious!
Duh, just realised you didn’t use truffle pillo oil this time… Still looks and sounds awesome though!
er, and by “pillo oil” I mean “oil” (weird auto-correct on phone, don’t ask) – dear God I’m failing today – ok, I’m spam-posting you now, promise :p
Haha! It’s OK, just provides a bit of entertainment…and I of course know what you meant. :) Thanks so much, Charles.
This looks amazing! And two recipes? Bonus.
Thanks so much! xx
This sounds wonderful, Caroline. I never think of lentils for meals like this, but they would be perfect! Nice work.
They were a great side dish, simple and healthy….opposed to the chicken, cheese, ham, etc. ;)
Wow, wow, wow. Braising the lentils just sounds delicious. And that pot with the melting cheese. Yes, please.
I would have been happy if the pot were just full of cheese and sauce. Next time, I’m doubling the sauce!
And calling the dish an exotic name such as valdostana, in addition to using parma ham and truffle oil, also helps:) It tastes awesome even though I didn’t try it:)
I completely agree! Definitely helps. I’m sure you’d love it.
—OMG, you are brilliant. This looks SO deliSH & sinful!
And anything w/ prosciutto tastes devine. WOWIE.
Oh gosh, sinful indeed. I was in the biggest food coma after I finished eating. Thank you! xx
This looks like an amazing combination. The lentils look good enough to be a main dish!
They very well could be–thank you!
What a delightful looking dish and once again, some great photos Caroline. I have to agree with you – a little prosciutto and cheese and we could change the world :) Love the braised lentils… what a perfect accompaniment.
Thanks Kelly! I’d be tempted to include prosciutto and cheese in every meal, but then again, I don’t want to get sick of either. :)
What a great meal you prepared for your family. I love the way you added the spinach to the lentils.
Thanks Karen! The spinach was really tasty in the lentils, and added a nice pop of color.
Heaven on a plate, indeed! Your family was very lucky to be able to eat this. I’m drooling! :-)
My brother quote said “you need to come home more often and cook like this” haha! So he was very happy, to say the least.
Wow, you often make me think of food in new and really awesome ways. This looks amazing, Caroline!
Aw, thank you so much, Courtney! xx
Oh wow Caroline, this chicken breast looks absolutely amazing. I just love chicken recipes and this is amazing. I don’t normally eat lentils but I think I may have to try it out with this dish.. delicious.
Thanks Kay! I eat tons of chicken, so it’s nice to find recipes that switch up the average chicken breast dishes.
Looks amazing! I totally agree that prosciutto makes everything better, especially chicken :) I will definitely be trying this when the weather here becomes less summery and more fall-like!
Thank you Stefanie! We had one day that was surprisingly chilly, so it worked out really well that I made this dish. But that didn’t last for long–back to the warm weather!
I could go for the chicken but sadly, lentils and I are not the greatest of friends :)
The chicken is spectacular on its own, so you’d be just fine without the lentils!
Valdostana looks fantastic… I wish I could eat lentils, but they just don’t agree with me for some reason. Love the blog site, God Bless
paul
I hear ya. Thanks for visiting my site, Paul! Can’t wait to check out your blog.
Caroline – this is indeed heaven on a plate! What time’s dinner?!
Right now? :)
That dish looks so mouthwatering! Lentils are fabulous, so nourishing and tasty. A lovely combination.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa! I agree, I love lentils. I still have a huge bag in my pantry, so I’m sure I’ll be cooking with them again very soon.
I bet there weren’t any leftovers after this meal. Great stuff!
Only a very small amount of leftovers since there were only three of us, but I gladly took them back to my apartment. :)
Yum!!! Your pictures are so tantalizing, and as soon as I read “white wine tomato cream sauce” my taste buds started swooning.
I would seriously drink the sauce if it were appropriate, ha! Thanks, Jenna. xx
This chicken looks absolutely delicious! The sauce, the cheese, the proscuitto – all of it is just mouthwatering!
Thanks so much Erin! :)
That braised lentil recipe sounds out of this world..I love lentils but have never made them this way..something I need to correct very soon
This was my first time braising lentils, but I loved the result, so I’m sure I’ll make them again soon as well. :)
I was still more or less calm while reading the description of this delight, but when I saw the close-up photos I have almost died. I must try doing both lentils and the chicken with an Italian “dress” ;-)
Haha! I love your reaction. The dish was even tastier than it looks in the photos. :)
Heavenly for sure! Love the fork photo. :)
Thanks Ashley! xx
Great name for a dish! Great post, too!
Thanks Hook!
Wrapping something in prosciutto to make it better? That is just crazy talk! :-)
Great recipe.
I’m never one to make things boring! Thank you. :)
I agree with that 100% prosciutto and truffle oil are the secret to a great dish like such!
I’m glad we’re on the same page. Thank you!
Wow, this is a wonderful dish. So full of flavor and color too! I like how you wraped it in proscuitto, mmmm! You are the winner of my giveaway for the Lunch kit. I’m sending you an email to notify you! congrats!
Can’t be too bad if it’s wrapped in prosciutto, right? Can’t wait for my lunch kit!! :)
This is stunning! I like truffle oil and prosciutto on things, but a wee drizzle of olive oil does it for me. Lentils are one of my very favorites….really a great dish!
Thanks Ann! I agree, if I’m not feeling too gourmet, olive oil always does the trick.
This sounds and looks amazing!! Lentils and I don’t really get along ;) But I will def be trying this chicken!
The chicken is definitely worth a try! Thank you. xx
I don’t know which I like more the chicken or the braised lentils. WOW! A fantastic meal all on one plate. The chicken with the cheese looks fantastic. Will definitely be trying this dish soon
I couldn’t decide either….but the sauce might actually win in my books! Thanks so much. xx
I’m already in love with the chicken. Yes, I agree. I love prosciutto or even bacon wrap anything! I don’t use fontina cheese so this will be my very first dish. I really love the whole taste of this chicken – I can half imagine it and half I have to find it out on my own! Thanks for sharing the recipe Caroline!
Oh boy, don’t get me started on bacon wrapped food! I love the saltiness and crispiness it adds. I’m not a huge hot dog fan, but there’s an amazing hot dog place in NY that serves all types, most of which are bacon wrapped. I’m drooling just thinking about them. Enough of my rant, ha! Thanks Nami. :)
That’s something I would order at a restaurant, swoon over and then never imagine that I could recreate. You are truly talented. This looks beautiful.
Aw wow, thank you so much Geni, that’s so sweet of you to say. :)
Yummy! What a delicious looking meal! How could your mom and brother not love this?! I have never had braised lentils before….looks amazing! :)
I really wish we had more leftovers, ha! Thanks Christina. xx
I agree with you about the prosciutto!! You know, I try and try to love lentils but for some reason it’s not happening. I think I will try again…I really want to like them!
I actually didn’t like them too much a while back, so maybe they just take some getting used to!