Let’s go ahead and just say it — chicken is usually boring, unless of course you are eating it at Zuni Cafe, in which case it’s absolute heaven. Also, it’s always a challenge to cook the meat to a safe temperature, and yet keep it moist. I’ve found that stuffing the breast with something usually takes care of both problems, adding flavor and keeping it juicy.
Don’t let the task of stuffing the chicken breast deter you — it’s very easy. I modified the original recipe, as it didn’t offer enough flavor from the spring onions alone. What’s great about this recipe is that it can be prepared pretty quickly, and looks nice enough for company, which is great for those times when you are crazy enough to throw a Friday night dinner party after work.
Use a stainless steel pan (not a non-stick one) to get a golden brown crust on the chicken breasts, and to create the nice brown bits on the bottom of the pan, called fond, which help create and add flavor to the quick pan sauce.
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Spring Onions, and Thyme
Adapted from Cooking Light
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced spring onions
¾ cup thinly sliced shallots
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-left parsley
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallots, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 5-10 minutes, depending on how finely you chopped the onions and shallots — stir frequently. When they are soft, cover, reduce heat, and cook or another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook up to another 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
Combine onion mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.
Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast, to form a pocket. Start off slow, and progressively make the slit larger, careful not to poke through the other side of the breast.
Stuff 1 ½ tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over carefully with tongs. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes with foil loosely tented on top.
Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits (called fond) – this process is called deglazing. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to ¼ cup. (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken. Makes 6 servings.
