Chicken can be prepared so many different ways. Its mild flavor makes it adaptable to many different culinary treatments. Chicken is popular, in part, because it's low in fat and calories, relatively inexpensive, and widely available.
However, these same qualities can also make chicken a little boring. Sometimes you need to use your imagination when cooking chicken to avoid "dull" and "routine."
In the recipe below, the combination of basil, one of the most flavorful of herbs, with the potency of kalamata olives makes these chicken breasts simply burst with flavor. And the effect of the chicken infused with savory, melting goat cheese is practically irresistible. Cooking the chicken at a lower temperature for a short period of time allows you to remove the breasts while they're remarkably moist and tender.
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Olives, and Basil
Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breast halves, skin on
6 ripe kalamata olives, chopped
2 T./30 ml goat cheese or feta
3 fresh basil leaves, shredded
2 T./30 ml butter
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1. Chop the olives.
2. Chiffonade the basil (basil, like any other herb, should always be cut, broken, ground, or crushed to release its flavor).
3. Mix the olives, basil, and goat cheese in a small mixing bowl. You can even make this mixture a day ahead and refrigerate it.
4. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
5. Coat the chicken breasts with mayonnaise before cooking. It won't penetrate the chicken breast, but it will help seal in the juices and keep it moist.
6. Slice a pocket in each chicken breast. (To do this, place the chicken breasts, skin side down on a cutting board. Remove the small filet strip that dangles from each breast. Hold the chicken in place by laying one hand flat on the surface on the chicken. Then, holding your utility knife at a 45 degree angle, carefully slice into the chicken breast. Leave about one inch uncut around three sides of the breast. Along the longer side of the breast, make a long, horizontal slice, parallel to the cutting board. Pull the pocket open and trim any connecting tissues.)
7. Stuff each pocket with the olive/basil/cheese mixture. After stuffing, fold the top layer of the chicken breast down to close the pocket and arrange the skin evenly on top.
8. Preheat an oven proof skillet and brown the chicken breasts. (Heat oil in a skillet and when hot, lay each chicken breast, skin side down, in the skillet. Brown for only about five minutes on each side. Flip the breasts only once. Do not flip repeatedly as this will only dry out the chicken.)
9. Place the skillet in the oven at 325 F. and bake, uncovered, for fifteen minutes.
Note - If you don't like the olive/basil/cheese stuffing, there are many others that you can try, and you're limited only by your own imagination. Some of the ones I've tried and liked are:
spinach/cream cheese/nutmeg/ground pepper
pine nuts/garlic/bacon/arugula/basil/parmigiano reggiano
apples/currants/oregano/thyme/feta cheese
wild mushrooms/thyme/rosemary/goat cheese
proscuitto/Monterey Jack/dried fruits/sweet wine
sausage/garlic/parsley/onion/sage
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Recipe - Chicken Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula
At my house, we love watching "Hell's Kitchen." As culinary school graduates, my husband and I always try to decide what we'd serve to Chef Ramsay if we were called upon to serve him, well, anything at all.
If you watch the show, you know that sometimes the contestants have to create a "gourmet" sandwich. Below is the one I'd probably serve. He might like it, he might not, however I love it and that's what counts with me. :)
Chicken Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 C. chopped and drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (2-ounce) onion sandwich buns
2 C. trimmed arugula
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
3. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
4. Sprinkle both sides evenly with 1/8-teaspoon salt and black pepper.
5. Add chicken to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.
6. While chicken cooks, combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic, stirring with a whisk.
7. Place buns, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted.
8. Place 1 chicken breast half on bottom half of each bun.
9. Add arugula to tomato mixture and toss gently to coat.
10. Arrange about 1/2 cup arugula mixture over each chicken breast half. Cover with tops of buns.
4 servings
If you watch the show, you know that sometimes the contestants have to create a "gourmet" sandwich. Below is the one I'd probably serve. He might like it, he might not, however I love it and that's what counts with me. :)
Chicken Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 C. chopped and drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (2-ounce) onion sandwich buns
2 C. trimmed arugula
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
3. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
4. Sprinkle both sides evenly with 1/8-teaspoon salt and black pepper.
5. Add chicken to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.
6. While chicken cooks, combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic, stirring with a whisk.
7. Place buns, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted.
8. Place 1 chicken breast half on bottom half of each bun.
9. Add arugula to tomato mixture and toss gently to coat.
10. Arrange about 1/2 cup arugula mixture over each chicken breast half. Cover with tops of buns.
4 servings
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Recipe - Oscar Party Time! Chicken Roulade
My husband and I are both culinary school graduates - he graduated from a culinary school in France, I graduated from a culinary school in the eastern US.
Since we both love food and cooking, we both love movies, and we both love getting together with our friends, we host an annual "Oscar Party." This party gives us both a chance to show off our culinary skills besides having a really good time. We ask our guests to fill out an Oscar ballot and make one choice each in all twenty-four categories. The person who wins gets a seven course dinner catered by...us!
We have many dishes at our "Oscar Party," and this year I wanted to share one with you. It's a tasty chicken dish that's very different and very festive, but still, very easy to make, though the prepartion time is well over one hour. However, this dish is worth it.
Chicken Roulade with Prosciutto, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
6, 6 oz. boneless chicken breasts (skin on)
Salt
Ground black pepper
6 slices prosciutto
18 leaves fresh spinich
24 pieces sun-dried tomato
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 C. good red wine
2 C. beef stock
¼ C. tomato puree
1 C. demi-glace (Brown Sauce)
3 to 6 eggs, as needed
1 to 2 C. Half-and-Half, as needed
2 C. flour, as needed
2 C. Italian flavored breadcrumbs
1 L. canola Oil
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 bunch chives
4 T. unsalted butter, plus 1 T. for the potatoes
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh thyme leaves
2 T. white truffle oil, to taste
Directions:
1. Lay a long piece of plastic wrap over your cutting board and tuck it underneath the sides of the board. (Covering the chicken with the plastic will also keep the mess down when you pound with the meat mallet.)
2. Place the chicken breasts on the covered cutting board, skin side down, with enough space between them so they can lay flat after you "butterfly" them. To make the butterfly cut, carefully slice open (without slicing the chicken all the way through) and spread the flesh of the chicken out so you will be able to pound it out into a single thin piece.
3. After pounding, place stuffing and then roll up.
4. Season the breasts with salt and pepper.
5. Place another length of plastic wrap over the seasoned chicken breasts and flatten with meat mallet to integrate the seasoning into the chicken. Pound chicken thin.
6. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto ham on each breast.
7. Add 3 leaves of spinach and 4 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes to each breast.
8. Fold in each end and roll tightly. Place on sheet tray and freeze until firm. (They do not have to be frozen completely hard, but this makes it easier to handle when breading.)
9. Preheat a deep-fryer to 350 F. Also, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
10. While the chicken roulade is hardening in the freezer, prepare the tomato demi-glace. In a saucepan, saute garlic and then deglaze the pan with the wine.
11. Add stock and tomato puree.
12. Boil over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the demi-glace (brown sauce) and let simmer until thickened ("medium thickness").
13. When the chicken is firm, set up a breading station.
14. Whisk together 3 eggs and 1 cup of the half-and-half for the egg wash. (Begin with this amount and whisk more together if needed.)
15. Set up a bowl each of: flour, then egg wash, and then Italian breadcrumbs.
16. Evenly coat rolled frozen chicken with flour (not too much or breadcrumbs won't stick).
17. Dip floured rolled chicken into egg wash, then into breadcrumbs.
18. In a deep-fat fryer, lightly fry until golden brown.
19. Finish in the oven for 15 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest.
20. Boil the potatoes until tender.
21. Mash the potatoes and whip chopped chives, butter, salt, and freshly ground pepper into the potatoes with a beater.
22. Reheat the tomato demi-glace and to finish remove from heat, and immediately whisk in fresh thyme and 1 tablespoon butter.
23. Slice each chicken roll to expose the stuffed interior.
24. Place mashed potatoes in center of each plate, drizzle white truffle oil over the potatoes.
25. Lay chicken roulade over potatoes. Enjoy!
Since we both love food and cooking, we both love movies, and we both love getting together with our friends, we host an annual "Oscar Party." This party gives us both a chance to show off our culinary skills besides having a really good time. We ask our guests to fill out an Oscar ballot and make one choice each in all twenty-four categories. The person who wins gets a seven course dinner catered by...us!
We have many dishes at our "Oscar Party," and this year I wanted to share one with you. It's a tasty chicken dish that's very different and very festive, but still, very easy to make, though the prepartion time is well over one hour. However, this dish is worth it.
Chicken Roulade with Prosciutto, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
6, 6 oz. boneless chicken breasts (skin on)
Salt
Ground black pepper
6 slices prosciutto
18 leaves fresh spinich
24 pieces sun-dried tomato
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 C. good red wine
2 C. beef stock
¼ C. tomato puree
1 C. demi-glace (Brown Sauce)
3 to 6 eggs, as needed
1 to 2 C. Half-and-Half, as needed
2 C. flour, as needed
2 C. Italian flavored breadcrumbs
1 L. canola Oil
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 bunch chives
4 T. unsalted butter, plus 1 T. for the potatoes
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh thyme leaves
2 T. white truffle oil, to taste
Directions:
1. Lay a long piece of plastic wrap over your cutting board and tuck it underneath the sides of the board. (Covering the chicken with the plastic will also keep the mess down when you pound with the meat mallet.)
2. Place the chicken breasts on the covered cutting board, skin side down, with enough space between them so they can lay flat after you "butterfly" them. To make the butterfly cut, carefully slice open (without slicing the chicken all the way through) and spread the flesh of the chicken out so you will be able to pound it out into a single thin piece.
3. After pounding, place stuffing and then roll up.
4. Season the breasts with salt and pepper.
5. Place another length of plastic wrap over the seasoned chicken breasts and flatten with meat mallet to integrate the seasoning into the chicken. Pound chicken thin.
6. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto ham on each breast.
7. Add 3 leaves of spinach and 4 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes to each breast.
8. Fold in each end and roll tightly. Place on sheet tray and freeze until firm. (They do not have to be frozen completely hard, but this makes it easier to handle when breading.)
9. Preheat a deep-fryer to 350 F. Also, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
10. While the chicken roulade is hardening in the freezer, prepare the tomato demi-glace. In a saucepan, saute garlic and then deglaze the pan with the wine.
11. Add stock and tomato puree.
12. Boil over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the demi-glace (brown sauce) and let simmer until thickened ("medium thickness").
13. When the chicken is firm, set up a breading station.
14. Whisk together 3 eggs and 1 cup of the half-and-half for the egg wash. (Begin with this amount and whisk more together if needed.)
15. Set up a bowl each of: flour, then egg wash, and then Italian breadcrumbs.
16. Evenly coat rolled frozen chicken with flour (not too much or breadcrumbs won't stick).
17. Dip floured rolled chicken into egg wash, then into breadcrumbs.
18. In a deep-fat fryer, lightly fry until golden brown.
19. Finish in the oven for 15 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest.
20. Boil the potatoes until tender.
21. Mash the potatoes and whip chopped chives, butter, salt, and freshly ground pepper into the potatoes with a beater.
22. Reheat the tomato demi-glace and to finish remove from heat, and immediately whisk in fresh thyme and 1 tablespoon butter.
23. Slice each chicken roll to expose the stuffed interior.
24. Place mashed potatoes in center of each plate, drizzle white truffle oil over the potatoes.
25. Lay chicken roulade over potatoes. Enjoy!
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