My "I Think Eddie Would Approve" Chicken Rollatini

We have a local Italian Restaurant that has been in the same location, and owned by the same Italian family for more than 20 years. Giusseppe's in Fellsmere, FL is my favorite Italian restaurant and I feel like I am being disloyal when I eat at another Italian restaurant, so I don't. Now, this is tradition at its best--the father, Giusseppe, opened this restaurant in the early 1980's, and when he retired, his son (who was a very good chef in his own right in the Washington DC area), moved to Indian River County with his entire family, and took over the business.  As much as I loved Giusseppe's cooking, Eddie's is even better!  One of my hubby's favorite dishes there is the Chicken Rollatini, and I got inspired the other day to try to replicate it myself.  I think it turned out rather well, and hubby gives it his stamp of approval.  There is only one drawback to this, and it is a big one...if I can make rollatini that Gary likes as well as Eddie's, what is the incentive to EVER go out to eat? (Did I goof up royally??)

Chicken Rollatini (or Roulade)

Special Materials:

Butcher string

Meat pounder

Large sauté pan w/min. 3” sides for pan frying

Oven dish

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast, butterflied

4-6 slices whole milk Mozzarella Cheese (slices are easiest, but of course, good quality fresh

               mozzarella is best)

4-6 slices of Prosciutto

Fresh Tarragon leaves, chopped to approximately 4 tablespoons (or a pinch of dried for each breast)

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

For the breading:

Salt and Pepper

Garlic Powder

All Purpose Flour

1-2 Eggs (I use duck eggs, because there is more yolk ratio for richness and you only need one, but

                      use 2 chicken eggs)

Panko Bread Crumbs

For the Gravy:

4 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

Fresh Garlic (or powdered)

1 cup Chicken stock

1 cup White Wine

1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice

4 oz. Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

Preparation:  *note—The chicken breasts can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated before breading because it is a bit labor-intensive to do all these steps at once.

Butterfly each half of the chicken breast, and then cut that in half, so that you have four pieces.

Pound out each piece of chicken until it is uniformly thin, but be careful that you don’t make holes.

Lay one layer of prosciutto and then one layer of mozzarella on each breast, and then roll up as tightly as possible.  Tie up with butcher string. (you may cover each piece in Saran wrap and put in the refrigerator at this point).

Preheat the cooking oil to about 280-300 degrees.  You don’t have to get the oil blazing hot, because we will be finishing off the chicken in the oven, and with chicken, the risk is burning the outside without cooking fully through.  Remember, the middle of the Rollatini should be 160-165F degrees when it comes out of the oven, but it can be around 150F coming out of the oil.

Make your breading station with three pans; one AP Flour pan, one egg wash pan, and one Panko breadcrumb pan.

Dip each breast in AP flour then egg wash, then press and roll in the Panko to get them to stick well.  Let them rest on a plate for a minute or two (this makes the Panko stick better while in the fry oil).

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Place them in the oil and cook until light golden brown on all sides.  Don’t let the Panko get dark, because it will brown further in the oven.  Take the rollatini out of the oil and blot them lightly on a paper towel, then transfer them to the oven dish.

For the gravy:

Pour off the oil out of the sauté pan, but reserve the golden bits in the bottom of the pan.  Let the pan cool to warm, then add 2 Tablespoons of butter, and the fresh garlic, and let the garlic cook on medium-low heat until almost translucent and very aromatic, then turn up the heat to medium high and immediately add the mushrooms in one layer so they sear well. 

When the mushrooms are seared, turn the heat back down to medium, add the rest of the butter, and 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour and stir until bubbly and golden.  Add the white wine and chicken stock and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.   Cook down until it thickens to the right consistency.  If it gets too thick, add more white wine (or chicken stock, but my preference is the wine).

Sautee the spinach (if your timing is perfect, you can use the same pan as the gravy as soon as it is finished), and plate that first as a bed for the Rollatini.

When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160-165F, remove from the oven, plate over the sautéed spinach, and spoon ¼ of the gravy and mushrooms over each plate. 

Sprinkle with some fresh basil or parsley and serve with Crusty Italian Bread.