Dinner Party Fare – Prosciutto-Wrapped Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

When we were in graduate school my wife Marci and I would take a break from our studies on Friday at ‘happy hour’ with our friends and classmates. At some point, we all inevitably got hungry. We wanted to socialize late into the evening after a hard week, but being poor students, no one could afford a meal at a restaurant; that was an extravagance beyond our means. More often than not, a group of us would migrate to our apartment, cook a communal dinner, and share our creations sitting around an enormous, ornate, wood table we acquired at a secondhand store that barely squeezed in our small dining room. Everyone would bring what they had in their refrigerator or on their counter, and we would piece together a (usually excellent) meal, with nary a dent in our wallets.

We always had solid pantry items in our home like olive oil, garlic, and fresh parmesan cheese that could be grated over anything. Maybe a classmate had some vegetables sitting in their refrigerator that were just waiting to be cooked, while another brought some chicken that we could eat. One friend might bring bread, while someone else contributed beverages. Somebody always had an extra box of pasta; we ate a lot of pasta. As we were enrolled in a marine science program, one of our fellow graduate students might have some fish they caught or shellfish they gathered while they were purportedly carrying out their research. And I have a distinct memory of one friend, who had once worked in a restaurant, carefully smashing anchovies into our wooden bowl to construct a “proper” Caesar salad. We ate well, considering our economic circumstances, the lack of planning, and our position in life. It was as great to cook together as it was to sit and eat together.

While we have aged and matured, Marci and I still love hosting friends and family for dinner, albeit usually in less impromptu circumstances. Our dinner parties have become more formal affairs. It’s not that we have candelabras on the table and sorbet between courses, although there would be nothing wrong with either. Rather we plan the meals in advance and have a wider repertoire of recipes from which to choose. The food in general has become fancier as we have become better cooks and can now afford higher quality ingredients. For example, while we may still serve our guests pasta, it is usually homemade and fresh. Far superior to a weekday box.

Our dinner parties these days are often made up of small plates, filled with many courses, so we all get many tastes. But not always. Sometimes we like a traditional dinner with appetizer, main, and dessert, and for that, you need a showstopper of a main course. There’s nothing wrong with grilling a big, thick steak, or skewering some kebabs. A fancy chicken dish in a white wine and cream sauce or simple chicken thighs with crispy skin are great options. However, the problem is that these recipes all require significant last-minute preparations, keeping you from your guests. That’s when this Prosciutto-Wrapped Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Tenderloin comes into play; almost all the work is done ahead of time, its final step finished in a hot oven when the guests arrive. And as a bonus, it looks great on the plate.

While we never could have made a dish like this for our friends during graduate school days – it requires too much forethought – those early group meals laid the groundwork for how we socialize today. We still gather with friends on a Friday at ‘happy hour’ and share an informal meal, but when we invite them over for dinner on a Saturday night it is a more formal event, with dinner party fare.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

Turkey tenderloin pounded thin, stuffed with spinach and cheese, and wrapped in prosciutto is a delicious combination. Once you learn the technique, almost anything can be rolled inside the thin white meat: crumbled, cooked sausage and broccoli rabe; pesto and sun-dried tomatoes; figs and feta. Combinations are endless.

When pounding the turkey breast, it will likely tear in spots. Just make sure to wrap it as snug as possible and tuck the filling back inside, tightly tying with kitchen twine to keep it all together. Once cooked, it will (mostly) hold its shape.

about 1¼ hours, serves 8

1 pack turkey tenderloins containing two pieces

1 tsp. salt, divided, plus more if needed

1½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper, divided, plus more if needed

1½ cups fontina cheese, grated

½ cup low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cups fresh baby spinach or fresh mature spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped

8 paper thin slices prosciutto

Cooking oil spray

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more if needed

1 large shallot, minced

½ cup dry white wine

1½ Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces

1. Remove the turkey tenderloins from the package and rinse in cold water. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Lay one tenderloin flat on a cutting board and slice horizontally almost all the way through with a sharp knife, leaving about a half inch uncut. Open the tenderloin like a book and cover in plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, pound the meat until it is roughly a ¼-inch thick all around. Set aside and repeat with the other turkey tenderloin.
2. Sprinkle each tenderloin all over with about a half teaspoon of salt and pepper. Evenly spread half of the cheeses on each tenderloin, leaving about ¾ of an inch uncovered at the edge furthest from you. Spread half of the spinach on each tenderloin, again leaving about ¾ of an inch uncovered at the far edge. Starting at the edge closest to you, tightly roll up the turkey, filling and all, trying to keep it all stuffed inside and as evenly thick as possible. Repeat with the other tenderloin.
3. Lay out 4 slices of prosciutto overlapping each other slightly, with the long edge of each slice perpendicular to the counter. Place one tenderloin on the edge of the prosciutto closest to you, fold the sides in over the tenderloin, and then roll the turkey away from you so it is completely wrapped in prosciutto. Using kitchen twine, tie the prosciutto in place around the rolled up, stuffed tenderloin, about every inch and a half so it does not come unraveled. Repeat with the other tenderloin. Sprinkle all over with remaining pepper.
4. Preheat oven to 350 ^oF. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack large enough to hold both tenderloins in the sheet pan and spray with cooking spray.
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold both tenderloins. Sear for a minute or two on each side to give the prosciutto some color, turning as needed with tongs. When done, place tenderloins on the rack in the sheet pan. Reserve the skillet without cleaning. Recipe can be made up to this point and resumed about a half hour before you are ready to eat. If placing turkey in refrigerator, remove about a half hour before putting it in the oven to come to room temperature.
6. Place sheet pan with tenderloins in oven and bake until internal temperature taken with an instant read thermometer is 160 ^oF, checking after a half hour. Remove from oven and allow to rest tented with foil for at least 10 minutes. The temperature should rise to 165 ^oF.
7. While turkey is resting, make a pan sauce. Add additional olive oil to reserved skillet and heat on medium. Add minced shallot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until wine is reduced by half, about 3 or 4 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed, remembering that the turkey may be salty enough because of the prosciutto. Whisk in cold butter to complete the pan sauce. Set aside over a low heat to keep warm, stirring periodically.
8. Remove the strings from the tenderloins and cut each into inch-thick slices. Place on a warm serving platter and drizzle pan sauce over the top.

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