Rachel Ray's Fancy Fake-Out: Chicken Version

I must give credit where credit is due. This recipe is from Rachel Ray and we love it. It is fast, easy and very gourmet. Here's the link to the recipe, but below is the recipe reproduced for your convenience with a few of my personal changes.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/fancy-fake-out-chicken-version/

(Photo courtesy of Rachel Ray)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling, divided
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
• 6 slices prosciutto
• 1 large sweet onion (or 2 medium red onions), thinly sliced
• 1 medium bulb fennel, fronds removed and discarded, bulb cored and thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on a bias
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 5 cloves garlic, 4 thinly sliced, 1 peeled and left whole, divided
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 loaf whole wheat ciabatta, split in half lengthwise and cut into four chunks
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup balsamic drizzle (this is NOT optional)

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons.

Spread the prosciutto slices out on the counter and place a chicken breast half onto each piece. Season chicken with salt and pepper and a tiny drizzle of EVOO, then roll it up in the prosciutto. 

Place the wrapped chicken into the hot pan seam side down and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to the oven until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. 

When the chicken is in the oven, place 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons in the same pan as you browned the chicken. Add the onion, fennel, celery, bay leaves and sliced garlic to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken stock and white wine, and reduce for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring up to a bubble and cook until reduced, about 5-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, discard the bay leaves and stir in the herbs.  If you don't have fresh basil, use dried basil and add when you add the tomatoes. 

About  5-8 minutes before serving time, cut the loaf of ciabatta in half lengthwise and open up to toast it. When the ciabatta comes out of the oven, drizzle with some EVOO and rub the cut sides with the clove of garlic. Cut the two halves of the bread in half to make a total of 8 pieces of bread.

 To serve, lay 2 halves (top and bottom) piece of toasted bread down onto a plate and top each with a couple of scoops of veggie stew getting plenty of the juices to soak in. Lay a piece of chicken down onto each plate and drizzle with some of the balsamic drizzle.