Pan Cooked Chicken with Asparagus, Proscuitto and Olives
Contributor:
Jenny Pauls
Catetories:
Other Main Dishes
Recipe:
(adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe on the Food Network)
Serves about 3
In Italy they use olives instead of salt, as they give a gentle seasoning, perfume and meatiness to dishes.
about ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (usually two small breast halves)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
3 slices proscuitto
one bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I often use the ones seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano)
10-15 kalamata olives, pitted and halved**
Handful basil leaves
½ T. butter
Splash white wine
Slice the chicken into finger size pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a medium-sized frying pan, add some oil, and brown the chicken on all sides. Place the proscuitto on top of the chicken and the asparagus around it, let it char a little, then put the proscuitto on the bottom of the pan to crisp up and turn the chicken over. Turn up the heat, throw in the tomatoes, olives, basil, and butter. Take off the heat once the butter has melted and add a splash of wine to make a sauce.
** To pit olives put them on a cutting board and (one by one) press firmly with the bottom of a small jar or side of a knife… just until you feel them yield (that’s the flesh shearing off the pit). Now slice them down one side (if they aren’t already) and pull out the pit.
