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Burning Prosciutto

post #1 of 8
1/23/09 at 8:01am
Thread Starter 
This morning I came across a recipe for a Florentine-style chicken breast. The boneless breast halves are stuffed with a mixture of cheese and spinach, then wrapped with slices of prosciutto and baked in a 400-deg F oven. That sounds like the ham may get burned or at the very least, dried out. Do you think that might be the case? If so, how might the problem be prevented? A friend suggested wrapping the breasts after they've cooked for a while. That sounds like it may be difficult.
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post #2 of 8
1/23/09 at 8:59am
I've made that dish before, it was one of NRatcheds and I, first "dinner party" experiences. It does turn to kind of like bacon, but tastes good.
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post #3 of 8
1/23/09 at 10:21am
Should be fine. Prosciutto survives in Saltimboca dishes just fine and that's in direct contact with a hot skillet. Yes, expect some toughening and drying, but it's a good toughening and drying.

Phil
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post #4 of 8
1/23/09 at 1:02pm
400 to me is to hot, drop to 350-360 the water in the spinach will help steam the breast from the inside. Prossuito can get exrtemely rubbery when over cooked with a direct heat. I make this at work but my prossuito is wrapped around the spinach and cheese< I also add an egg and some soft bread crumbs to my mix to bind it so it does not leak out .
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post #5 of 8
1/23/09 at 1:10pm

Thanks for sharing Ed! I'll have to give it a try.

I know when I've made Saltimboca it does get a bit overcooked and hard.



thanks,
dan
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post #6 of 8
1/23/09 at 2:01pm
If it were me I would cook that dish covered. Then uncover during the last ten minutes to get it a little crispy.

Does anyone notice how proscruitto gets very gamey when it is cooked?
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post #7 of 8
1/28/09 at 6:09am
I don't like the flavor or texture of cooked prosciutto, personally. I'd bet that using it in this manner is for barding purposes--covering the meat you intend to eat (the chicken) with a fatty meat to impart some flavor and keep it moist.

In this case, the prosciutto is probably there to "take the heat" for the chicken, as it were, so the chicken itself, which is very lean, doesn't dry out in the oven.
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post #8 of 8
1/29/09 at 1:08am
Are the breasts skinless? This will give the best result. Otherwise you'll get a horrible layer of white skin under the proscuitto

I would be tempted to start them in a pan then cover and finish in the oven so the proscuitto does not get too tough, or even brown them in a pan then wrap infoil and finish in the oven for the moistest result.
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