Lemony Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken & Mozzarella

20 Sep 2015

Lemon Grass gained its reputation in Asian cuisine because of its lemony attribute, which smells equally wonderful with that of big, yellow lemons popular in Western cuisine. Now let me transport this ingredient to a western recipe that has become a family favorite.

Summary

Yield	Servings
Prep time	45 minutes
Cooking time
Total time	45 minutes

Description

I should say… this style of cooking is very Italian due to its Italian ingredients and a hint of Asia’s lemon grass. The dish looked absolutely beautiful when tied with lemon grass, which can be a very popular pick for family and/or friend gatherings.

Here is how it goes:

Ingredients

pcs chicken butterflied breasts (medium or large, your choice)

seasoned salt to taste

fresh lemon grass stalks

mozzarella slices

sweet basil leaves (optional)

1⁄4 c

cooking oil

... quick tomato sauce:

1 cn

(16 oz) diced tomatoes

1⁄2 c

sliced red onions

head garlic clove, peeled and smashed

2 T

dried tomato pesto (found in the imported sections of Rustan’s)

2 T

butter

1 T

fresh basil chiffonade

sea salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven at 200 degrees celcius.

Slice the chicken in half and remove undesirable parts such as cartilages and some fats.

Season allover surface with seasoned salt to taste.

Heat oil in a wok of skillet over medium heat. When hot but not smoking, add in chicken and fry until both sides are light, golden brown (not too browned or the meat will dry up). Set aside.

Preparing tomato sauce

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When just melted, add in garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add in onions and continue sautéing until they are aromatic and translucent.

Pour in diced tomatoes and dried tomato pesto. Stir to mix and let simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add in basil leaves and season with salt to taste. Turn off heat and cool down a bit, then place in a blender and blend until smooth or however you want its texture. Pour in a baking dish and spread in the bottom evenly.

Preparing chicken and cheese, etc.

Now grab each piece of chicken and lay on a clean, flat surface. Place 1 leaf of sweet basil on top surface, then 1 or 2 slices of mozzarella cheese (size depends on you, recommending the size 2x3 inches and ¼ thick).

Now hold both firmly without squeezing down, then gently take a slice or two of prosciutto to wrap the chicken and mozzarella. When done, place a lemon grass stalk under, around 8 inches away from the bottom white part then tie the lemon grass around it firmly so it will not untie while baking.

Place prepared chickens in the prepared sauce in the baking dish and baked for 20 minutes or until cheese is totally melted.

Serve with asparagus on the side. Savor!