Protected Designation of Origin Product (PDO) challenge

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to take part in a Protected Designation of Origin Product Challenge.  I was sent a gorgeous hamper with two PDO products and asked to create a recipe using the products.  I love trying new recipe ideas or putting my own twist on family favourites so this challenge was right up my street.  
PDO Hamper
In the lovely hamper I received some Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Cheese to use in my recipe.  Both these products have been recognised as Protected Designation of Origin by the European Union since 1996.  To achieve PDO status products must respect strict production specification.  
This European Union designation is only reserved for products that “come from a strictly defined geographical area and are produced using distinctive processing techniques steeped in history and tradition of that place.  A PDO logo guarantees high quality, authenticity, and traceability by ensuring certain production specifications, including:
  • Clear boundaries of the geographical area of origin of both the products and the raw material.
  • production methods following the traditional recipe
  • clear labels indicating where and when the products where produced quality and authenticity certification by independent and neutral accredited certifying bodies, high  quality physical and organoleptic characteristics”
                               Information taken from PDO – The Taste of Origin and Tradition booklet
I spent a long time thinking over possible recipes I could make and even tried a few out, including pasta and fish dishes but all though they were tasty they did not appeal to the whole family.  I really wanted to make a dish that everyone would eat.  Luc does not eat pasta dishes and the younger two boys can be fussy with fish.  One of the only meats that everyone eats is chicken but Luc does not like sauces or gravy making it slightly harder, usually I cook his chicken separate so he does not have a sauce.  I also experimented with vegetables and the PDO products but again they didn’t feel right.  So finally I decided to try a very simply chicken dish that I knew everyone would eat and hopefully enjoy, after all everything I try to cook or bake are meant for the enjoyment of the family as a whole.  So here is my entry for the PDO challenge:
Chicken wrapped in Proscuitto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Cheese 

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts (skinned or with skin)
Prosciutto di San Daniele
Olive Oil
Grana Padano Cheese.  


Method:

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees centigrade 
2. Seal chicken breasts using seasoned plain flour in a small bowl    


3. Heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a pan
4. Place sealed chicken breasts in the pan 
5. cook chicken breasts for approx 5 minutes on each side (until meat turns white)
6. Remove chicken breasts from heat
7. Carefully wrap a slice of Prosciutto di San Daniele around each chicken breast
8. place in an oven dish
9. cook in oven for approx 35 minutes until cooked through.
10. Serve onto plates and grate Grana Padano Cheese over the top of the Prosciutto and chicken 
11. Serve with potatoes and selection of fresh vegetables.
 

I served ours with mash potato, carrots, Brussels sprouts and peas and some garlic bread (the boys insisted on garlic bread for some reason!) Apart from a few of the vegetables the whole family including Erin ate this dish and there were clean plates all around, now that doesn’t happen often here!  It’s also quick and easy to prepare and a healthy week night meal, which is always a bonus.                                                                                   

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