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.