Chicken Brasciole

By kishthecook

The traditional Italian beef Brasciole is a special occasion meal. Often made for a Sunday family meal since it takes hours to slow braise the Brasciole in the rich red sauce.. This version is much quicker and be made any day of the week since it's made with chicken breasts which do not need the hours worth of slow braising like the beef.. A few simple assembly steps, but worth the effort. Serve with a hearty pasta like trattolle or papardelle, fresh grated parmesan cheese and a good red wine. MMmmmmm

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 2 large or 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts- can be slightly frosty-
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup home made breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil and/or mint (I mix them)
• 1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 TBS lemon zest
• salt, pepper to season
• SAUCE:
• Extra virgin olive oil- a few good pan swirls
• 4 oz diced pancetta
• 1 med onion diced
• the other 1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• big handful of sliced mushrooms
• diced fresh serrano or dried red chili flakes to taste
• 2 cups fresh pureed tomatoes (or good canned toms)
• 1/2-1 cup Marsala to taste
• big handful of fresh chopped herbs: basil, oregano and parsley..what ever is in your garden!
• salt/ pepper to taste
• good fresh Parm cheese to garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Butterfly the chicken breast by laying it flat and running a sharp knife through the breast from left to right but not all the way through..This is a bit easier if the chicken is slightly frosty. Open the breast like a book and lay it flat on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Place another piece of wrap on top and with a flat mallet (not the pointy kind), pound the meat until thin (1/2-1/4 inch -ish) dont over do it and destroy the meat! Just get it flat and roll-able. Some places may be thicker, others thinner..thats ok. Place on a plate and continue with other breast(s)

meanwhile: in a bowl mix the parmesan, bread crumbs, pine nuts, parsley/herbs mix, lemon zest, garlic and salt, pepper

lay out one flattened breast and sprinkle with half the above mixture (in a pinch I have substituted above filling with pesto and sundried tomatoes and riccotta or mozzerella..or..be creative, its all good!)

roll jelly roll style into a tight roll and secure with several toothpicks or tie with string. (dont forget to remove before serving!)

In a large pan on medium high- heat a few good swirls of EVO. Brown the chicken rolls( brasciole) all around until golden. They wont be cooked through, thats Ok, just brown nicely on all sides for flavor!
remove to a plate

in the same pan, add another small swirl of EVO if needed.. add the pancetta and stir to crisp a bit, 2 minutes or so, add the onion and stir till onion is soft. Add the garlic and keep stirring, dont let the garlic burn. There will be browned bits on the pan from the chicken, keep stirring to dislodge what you can.. add the red bell, mushrooms and fresh chili or flakes to your preference. Add a splash of Marsala to deglaze the pan as you saute all this about 3-4 more minutes more.. Add the tomatoes, the rest of the Marsala and fresh herbs, stir continuing to scrape the brown flavorful bits off the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can thin it with chicken stock and/or more wine.

Add the chicken brascioles and the accumulated juices to the pan sauce and turn gently to coat with sauce. Cover pan with lid and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and place the brascioles on a cutting board. Remove the toothpicks or string. Slice the brascioles into thick slices with a pretty spiral of filling inside! Stir in a handful of fresh parsley to the pan sauce. Serve brasciole slices over pasta topped with pan sauce and fresh grated Parmesano-Reggiano and a hearty red wine. Bon Appetito!