I adore prosciutto. I’ve only really started eating it within the last year, but I’ve become a bit of an addict. (I think the Pear and Prosciutto “Carpaccio” from Valentine’s Day has been my favorite so far.) It’s a bit expensive ($23.99 per pound – yikes!), but thankfully, I usually only need a few slices for the recipes I make. The amount of flavor added by even the smallest quantities is just incredible.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken and Roasted Green Beans from the April 2008 issue of Everyday Food is one of my favorite ways to enjoy prosciutto when Dr. O is traveling and I’m on my own. There *is* a learning curve on this one, though… Read and learn!
Preparation on this one is pretty simple. I started by removing the stem ends from 4 ounces of fresh green beans. I put the beans on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, tossed them with 1 teaspoon of oil, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and then pushed them to one side of the pan.
Next, I seasoned a chicken breast (about 6 ounces) with salt and pepper and wrapped it with 3 thin slices of prosciutto. I placed the chicken (seam side down) on the other side of the baking sheet and rubbed it with 1 teaspoon of oil.
Here’s where the concept veers from good results. The recipe says to broil the chicken and beans until the chicken is opaque throughout, 15 – 20 minutes. The first time I made this recipe, I followed the instructions exactly… I ended up with perfect chicken and blackened, smoky tasting beans. Ick. Someone posted a similar experience in the recipe comments online, so I know it wasn’t just me.
This time, I watched the beans and took them out when they looked perfect – at only 6 minutes! BIG difference. I put the beans on a plate, covered them to keep them warm, and then put the chicken back in the oven until 15 minutes had passed. Perfect!
(Sorry – the color’s a bit funky on this one. It was pretty dark when I took the photo.)
All in all, this is an easy and delicious meal for one. I love the salty, smoky flavor of the prosciutto and the way it keeps the chicken moist. Honestly, I prefer to boil my green beans (5 minutes) and then toss them with salt and butter, but the roasted beans weren’t half bad. I would make this one again.
TIPS: It’s important to check the temperature of your chicken to make sure it’s cooked through, but don’t check it too early. If you puncture the chicken and put it back in the oven (*especially* if you do this repeatedly), the juices will run out, which means you end up with a dry chicken breast. Properly cooked chicken should be 165F. The temperature will continue to rise after you remove the meat from the oven, so you can take it out at around 160F.
Recipe link: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken and Roasted Green Beans
Sweet and Saucy 