Amaretto Chicken

Great news! My camera arrived today! So, lolfoodie is officially back in business! I can’t express my excitement strongly enough!

The UPS package arrived around 4:45 this evening, so I had just enough time to get its battery charged before starting dinner. I rushed around prepping as much of the recipe as I could and  setting up my lighting and tripod while the battery charged. It charged for about 45 minutes until I just couldn’t take it anymore and had to get started. The stomach growls were just getting too loud!

I have planned to make this recipe for a while, but I knew it was going to be a little bit of extra work, so I wanted to wait until I got my camera in order to document the process. It was originally published in the August/September 2010 issue of Saveur as Chicken Galliano, but I didn’t have any Galliano liqueur.  I did some quick Googling and found that Amaretto liqueur, with its sweet almond flavor, is a decent substitute for Galliano’s complex, herby flavors of vanilla and anise. Also – I don’t think Chicken Amaretto sounds right… so, I am using the title Amaretto Chicken.

For 2-3 servings, you will need:

• 3 thinly pounded  (1/8″) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tbs semi-soft goat cheese, at room temperature (cream cheese would work if you can’t find goat cheese… but goat cheese is delicious and you should make every effort to find it!)
• 3 thin slices of prosciutto
• 4 tbs butter
• 6 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3c flour (for dredging)
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 3/4c chicken stock (canned is fine; or you can check out my recipe for homemade chicken stock)
• 1/8c Amaretto liqueur
• 1 tbs chopped parsley

Start by seasoning both sides of your chicken with salt and pepper.

Spread each chicken breast half with 2 tbs of the softened goat cheese. Top with 1 slice of the prosciutto.

Roll the chicken into a tight cylinder. Tie as shown with kitchen twine. Trim off excess twine.

Melt 1 tbs of butter over medium-high heat in a nonreactive skillet (enameled cast iron works extremely well).

Add the mushrooms.

Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a plate, and set aside.

Dredge each chicken “roll” in flour.

Add the remaining butter and vegetable oil to the skillet (still over medium-high).

Once melted, add in the chicken rolls. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, turning 4 times, for a total of 16 minutes.

This is after one 90-degree turn.

After two turns. The beautiful golden-brown color of the middle roll is what you’re going for!

Here it is after the 3rd turn. Some of the goat cheese was seeping out, and it smelled so divine!

And here were are on the final turn. Just make sure it’s browned like so on each side, and the inside will be done. Remove the chicken to the plate with mushrooms.

First, add the chicken broth. This should cool the pan down enough to add the Amaretto without a flare-up. Be careful anyway, though. 😛 Also, add the Amaretto.

Bring the sauce up to a boil, and stir/scrape to deglaze all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by a third.

Return the chicken and mushrooms to the skillet, turning to coat in the sauce and heating through.

Serve with rice, and top with the chopped parsley!

Enjoy! 🙂