Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Savory Cheese and Balsamic-Date Sauce

This recipe jumped out at me; the salty chew of prosciutto combined with sweet dates, creamy cheese and chicken sounded enticing. Start to finish, the recipe suggests, should take only 30 minutes; easy elegance without much fuss.

I found it in the "Everyday Easy" section of the May issue of Better Homes and Garden Magazine. I was curious how long it will take me; I turned my timer to 30 minutes, put away my laptop and phone, and cooked (for once) without distraction.

The perfect sized carrots for steaming whole; not too big and not too small.

I purchased all the ingredients at Plum Market, selecting jumbo Medjool dates, which the gentleman who assisted me at Plum said were the juiciest brand they carried. They also had pre-peeled baby carrots, which had more flavor than those tiny carrots bagged carrots one usually sees.

Plum also carries several types of air-chilled chicken. According to meatpoultry.com, "Air chilling chicken has been a common practice in Europe and Canada for the past 45 years or so, but is only about a decade old in this country. Air-chilling or water-chilling chicken refers to the method used to cool the birds down after they are slaughtered and eviscerated. Water-chilled birds are dipped into ice cold water containing chlorine. Airchilled chickens are cooled down by being moved through a cold air process."

Carefully flip chicken with tongs when one side is golden brown.

It's said since air-chilled chickens don't depend on ice-water for chilling, they don't absorb so much excess water, which may contain chlorine. As well, the chicken is juicier and more tender.

I purchased Bell and Evans air-chilled chicken. And yes, even frugal-minded me is willing to pay the extra cost for chicken raised in a humane manner without using antibiotics. Bell and Evans has an informative website, which addresses many of my concerns about the chicken processing industry. The site also includes a letter from the president of PETA: "...Bell and Evans shows that good business and animal welfare can go hand in hand."

I tweaked the recipe, adding less balsamic (my Fustini balsamic is thick and rich to begin with) and more water. And about that timing. Working at full throttle, the dish took me 40 minutes, start to finish. Maybe it was the occasional photo slowing me down, but every extra second was worth the effort. The resulting dish was delicious!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 pound semi-soft cheese with garlic and herbs, such as Le Roule or Boursin
4-6 large thin slices prosciutto
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pitted whole dates (3 jumbo dates), chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Cut chicken in half, through the center horizontally. Lightly season with freshly ground pepper (the cheese and prosciutto, for me, were enough sodium). Top each breast with enough cheese to fit under a slice of prosciutto. Wrap prosciutto around cheese, making sure to cover cheese; tuck ends under chicken.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, cheese side up first, over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip chicken with prongs or a spatula; reduce heat and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes until no pink remains in chicken. (Note the cheese may leak a bit; my Calphalon non-stick skillet kept that from being problematic.) Transfer to platter and cover to keep warm.
3. Remove skillet from heat and wipe clean if necessary. Add dates, vinegar, and water to skillet. Return to medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, 2-4 minutes, until sauce is thickened and dates are soft, stirring to scrape up browned bits.