Philip’s Chicken with Asiago, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms

Philip's Chicken with Asiago, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms
Philip's Chicken with Asiago, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms

Philip, goofing around with an oven mitt
Philip, goofing around with an oven mitt

This was the last meal Philip Wilson cooked before his untimely passing. He was so happy that day, in his brother Bob’s well-equipped kitchen, fixing a meal side-by-side with those he loved, and then sitting down to enjoy it with lively conversation. He could never follow a recipe without making it his own, so he combined two recipes that I clipped out of old issues of Bon Appetit.

To go alongside this, Bob made a salad with spring greens, toasted walnuts, and pomegranate seeds, dressed with a walnut oil and pomegranate vinaigrette. I made the first course, Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Orange Cream. But Philip’s chicken was the crowning glory of the meal.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
Flour
12 oz assorted wild mushrooms, sliced (he used shitake and crimini)
6-8 T butter or olive oil, divided
1/2 C grated Asiago cheese
8 thin slices of prosciutto
2/3 C dry white wine
2 t minced fresh sage
4 whole sage leaves (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then coat both sides with flour, shaking off any excess.

Melt 4 T butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until brown, turning once, about five minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet.

Turn the heat to very high under the skillet and add a little olive oil. Saute the mushrooms quickly until they are brown and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set them aside in a bowl.

Sprinkle each chicken breast with 2 T of cheese and top with 2 slices of proscuito, folded in half. Bake for 5 minutes, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, add the wine, minced sage, and 2 T butter to the skillet. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/3 C, scraping up browned bits. This should take about 4 minutes.

To serve, set each chicken breast on a plate and scatter with mushrooms. Drizzle the pan sauce over it and top with a sage leaf.