A dish that comes together quickly can not only look pretty, but wow in the flavor department as well. That is, if you don’t overcook the chicken.
A dish that comes together quickly can not only look pretty, but wow in the flavor department as well. That is, if you don’t overcook the chicken.
But here’s my tip for getting moist boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Sear first, then bake them. To do this, it’s a good idea to use a skillet that’s not nonstick but is ovenproof. You’ll get a better sear on the chicken if it’s not nonstick. First, sear the chicken in the ovenproof skillet and then transfer it to a preheated oven to finish the cooking. The chicken turns out tender and juicy.
When the chicken is done, a delicious pan sauce can be made with those juices or pan drippings. You won’t have a lot of the sauce, but it’s full-flavored and small amount goes a long way.
In addition to a brightly flavored pan sauce, this dish gets a tangy flavor from blue cheese. In this recipe, only 1 tablespoon is used per serving, but you can use more if you like. You also can substitute an herbed goat cheese.
Another impressive flavor in this dish comes from the walnuts, which, like many other nuts, are pricey ingredients. One way to amp up their flavor is to toast them. Toasting the walnuts 6 to 8 minutes intensifies their flavor.
Serve this dish with a side of rice or couscous.
Blue cheese stuffed chicken breasts
Serves: 4
Total time: 30 minutes
We adapted this recipe from Food &Wine magazine.
1/4 cup walnut halves
1/4 cup favorite blue cheese or goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground pepper
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Spread walnuts in a pie plate and toast them in the oven for 6 minutes, until they are fragrant. Remove them from the oven, but leave the oven on. Let the walnuts cool, then chop.
In a small bowl, mash the cheese with the lemon zest, garlic and half the walnuts; season with salt and pepper.
Using a small knife, cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast; keep the pocket opening as small as possible. Stuff the chicken breasts with the cheese mixture and gently press to flatten them.
In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 5 minutes; then move the chicken breasts to a platter and keep them warm.
Add the lemon juice and stock to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Stir in the walnut oil, parsley and the remaining chopped walnuts. Transfer chicken to serving plates and spoon the walnut sauce on top.