Poached chicken served with salsa verde or another piquant sauce is common in Italy, and this is a perfect example of cultural blending between Italian and American styles. Today in America, Chef Fortunato Nicotra often makes this dish at our restaurant Felidia. It is light and yet very tasty, especially for lunch. I like it over an arugula salad, but he serves it on top of a light fresh-tomato sauce as well. It is delicious both ways.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　2 plum tomatoes, sliced into strips

　　4 packed cups fresh baby spinach

　　6 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 to 8 ounces each)

　　

Step 1

Toss together the tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

　　

Step 2

Slice open the chicken breasts crosswise to butterfly and use a meat mallet to pound them to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

　　

Step 3

Lay each breast, cut side up, on a long piece of plastic wrap. Divide the filling over the chicken breasts, then roll them tightly in the plastic, on the diagonal, to seal the chicken completely in plastic and leave about 3 inches of plastic on either end. Twist the ends to make a tight “sausage,” then tie each end with string to maintain the sausage shape.

　　

Step 4

Put the rolls in a pot with water to cover. Weight the rolls down with a plate to keep them submerged. Bring the water to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes. (The plastic wrap will not melt.) Remove the chicken, and let cool a bit. Unwrap, and slice each breast into rounds.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.