Spring Chicken Roll-Ups with Lemon Dijon Pan Sauce
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Ingredients
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thin slices provolone cheese or swiss
• 4 thin slices prosciutto or ham
• 12 thin spears asparagus, trimmed of tough stems and blanched in salted water 2 minutes, drained
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup chopped, flat-leaf parsley, a handful
Pound each breast flat in a freezer plastic storage bag . Add a tablespoon of water to each bag and pound into1/8-inch thick cutlets.
Arrange the 4 cutlets on work surface. Season cutlets with salt and pepper on the side facing up. Cover each piece of chicken with 1 slice cheese and 1 slice ham. Starting on 1 side of the breast, place a small bundle of 3 asparagus spears. Wrap and roll the chicken around the asparagus. Wash hands.
Heat about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, using tongs, add the chicken roll-ups to skillet with seam side down. Season the roll-ups with salt and pepper. Cover the pan loosely with tin foil and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turn roll-ups over and cook and other 4 to 5 minutes. Remove cooked roll ups to a serving plate. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour Stir in the chicken stock and Dijon mustard, scraping up any drippings from the bottom of the pan, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley and spoon over chicken.
(We use more asparagus. Not just three spears. Use toothpicks to secure the chicken in place around the asparagus or you can cook the rest separately and add to the plate when the sauce is done. If they are thick you can’t use as many but I usually use about eight to ten, I also use more chicken stock, it does not have to be exact. I buy it in a box so can use again, it keeps in the fridge. We don't cut the breasts in half as we like leftover chicken for the cat. When he hears me pound the chicken he gets all excited
The sauce is delicious, I serve with mashed potatoes too. )
