Margherita Sauce
I purchased prosciutto with the idea that I’d find a recipe for it … sometimes that’s fun — pick an ingredient, then find a recipe for it!
In searching the net for something new, I found Phyllo Chicken Prosciutto Margherita, which fit the bill. Except I didn’t feel like butterflying and stuffing the chicken breast, so I went in a different direction with that part of the recipe. Eric & I thought the Margherita Sauce sounded REALLY good, so I used that recipe (well, mostlly).
The chicken part of this is the least important, although I’m including it below the sauce recipe. The sauce is the real winner here — we could have done a dozen different dishes and the sauce would have shined.
Margherita Sauce
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium fennel bulb, diced
- 1/2 large or 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 leek, washed & diced
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp Indian chili powder *
- salt & ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Toss all ingredients together in a deep baking dish and bake at 350 F for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.
* Note: I used Indian chili powder, which is NOT Mexican chili powder. Mexican chili powder contains cumin, oregano, and other stuff in addition to ground chilies. Indian chili powder is ground chilis. Use less! Cayenne or red pepper flakes could be used instead.
The original recipe called for a shallow baking dish — this bubbled a lot so that would have made a mess of the oven. I used a deep Corningware dish, uncovered. The sauce was a bit soupy, kind of like salsa in broth … but the broth was delicious.
What will I do different next time?
large fennel bulb. 3 leeks instead of one. 8 cloves of garlic. More basil. The original recipe called for fresh oregano but I didn’t have any. If I did, I’d add that instead of more basil.
Before
After
Grilled Chicken & Prosciutto in Phyllo
- 2 large boneless chicken breasts, split horizontally
- salt, ground black pepper, & granulated garlic
- 1/4 lb prosciutto
- 1/4 lb pepper jack cheese
- 1/4 lb goat cheese
- 1/2 package phyllo
- spray cookingoil
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic — grill until barely done. Slice in thin strips Alternately, the chicken can be cooked any way desired, including using rotissery chicken.
Divide the phyllo sheets into 4 stacks — this should be 4 or 5 sheets. Divide the chicken between the 4 stacks, piling the chicken near one end, leaving a 1″ gap between the chicken and the edges. Divide the cheeses and prosciutto between the stacks.
Fold the sides of the phyllo over the chicken, then roll up gently, starting with the end where the chicken is situated. Spray all sides of each bundle with cooking spray.
Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in pre-heated 350 F oven for 20 minutes, or until well browned.
Notes: Substitute any cheese(s) desired. Substitute chicken seasonings as desired.
