What I've eaten for dinner the past two nights
My recipes work a lot like things from a historical cookbook: no measurements, just directions and estimations.
My Mom's Chicken
Ingredients:
seasoned bread crumbs
an egg
6-8 chicken cutlets
1 can of chicken broth
a bit of flour
light olive oil (preferred; canola or other oil is fine, too)
prosciutto ham--two slices per chicken breast (half a pound, super-thin)
fresh mozzarella (about a pound is usually enough)
pans:
a decent fry/sautee pan
a 2" deep baking or roasting pan, large enough to hold all the cutlets in one layer
(Note: I made this last night in a cheap aluminum pie tin with three cutlets (I lined the tin with no-stick foil). My mother uses a large Pyrex roasting pan. The pan you bake/roast in can vary.)
Beat the egg with a little water or milk. Put bread crumbs on a plate. I like to add salt to the bread crumbs, but that's optional. Heat the saute pan and get a couple tablespoons of oil heating in it.
Doing two or three at a time, dip chicken cutlets in egg and dredge in bread crumbs, and saute on both sides until browned. Don't worry if they get a little dark. The insides probably won't be fully cooked, but that's okay. When all are cooked, set aside for a bit.
Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour in the saute pan (do NOT clean the pan first) and over low heat stir it around in the drippings with the back of a spoon to make a roux. You should have leftover oil in there, too (if you don't, then add some).
Turn up the heat a bit and add some chicken broth, stirring continuously. Keep adding chicken broth a bit at a time until you've achieved a nice gravy. You should end up using 10-14 oz (about 1/3 liter) of broth. Crank up the heat and let it reduce if it's too thin.
Preheat your oven to 400° F (204° C).
Put a couple spoons of gravy in the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it around a bit. Lay the chicken cutlets into the pan and spoon a little more gravy over each. Then lay two slices of prosciutto on each cutlet and top with slices of mozzarella to mostly cover (do not drown). Pour the rest of the gravy over the top of all the slices; there should be enough to pool around the chicken, about 1/4" (5mm) deep.
Put in oven, center rack, for 20 minutes.
This dish reheats in the microwave very well, so I like to make a big pan and then have it again the next day.