Poached Chicken Breast With Goat Cheese Food

GOAT CHEESE & SPINACH STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS + MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a sharp knife to hasselback each chicken breast, and cut 6 slits into the top of each breast, making sure you don't cut all the way through to the bottom of the chicken breast. Drizzle each chicken breast with a little olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat and add in ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Add in spinach and season with garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach is fully wilted.
• Transfer cooked spinach to a medium bowl and add in goat cheese. Stir until well combined. Stuff each slit with the spinach/goat cheese mixture.
• Next add a 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add in sliced onions, mushrooms, fresh thyme, optional balsamic vinegar and season with a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions begin to caramelize and mushrooms turn golden brown. Make room for the chicken by moving the mushrooms and onions to the sides of the skillet.
• Add chicken to the skillet, making sure there is a little bit of room between each chicken breast; you may need to rearrange the mushrooms and onions. Transfer to oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Serves 4.

GOAT'S CHEESE & THYME STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Split the chicken breasts almost in half from one long side and open them out like a book. Bat them out a little with a rolling pin to flatten them. Season on all sides. Put half the goat's cheese on each piece of chicken and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Fold the chicken over to enclose the cheese, then wrap each one in two slices of the bacon.
• Lightly oil a shallow gratin dish, then arrange overlapping rows of courgettes and tomatoes over the base. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme sprigs. Sit the chicken on top.
• Bake for 40-45 mins until the bacon is crisp and golden and the courgettes are tender. Serve straight from the dish with new potatoes or good bread.

GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In small bowl, combine the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt., Cut a pocket horizontally in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Fill with spinach mixture; secure with toothpicks., In an 8-in. cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on each side. Place in oven; bake 10 minutes., Toss asparagus with remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; add to skillet. Bake until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165° and asparagus is tender, 10-15 minutes longer. If desired, drizzle with vinegar. Discard toothpicks before serving.

CHICKEN WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached.. Cut 12 thick slices of the Montrachet and place 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the breasts for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE, BASIL AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix goat cheese, tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and the 3 to 4 leaves of basil.
• Using a small sharp knife and working with one chicken breast at a time, cut a 2-inch-long horizontal slit into the thick side of chicken breast. Move knife back and forth in slit to form a pocket. Divide cheese mixture among chicken pockets. Press edges closed and secure with a toothpick to seal. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down; cook for 3 minutes or until skin is brown. Turn chicken over; transfer skillet to oven. Bake until cooked through (170 degrees F), about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Slice chicken and place on a serving plate. Drizzle lemon butter over chicken. Garnish with additional basil.

GOAT CHEESE AND HERB STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using a paring knife, make an incision in the side of each chicken breast, passing the knife though horizontally to make a slit but not cutting through the other side of the breast. With the paring knife inserted, rotate the knife to carve out a bit more space and create a pocket. Season the outside and inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Lightly beat the egg white in a bowl to break it up, then add the goat cheese, parsley, tarragon, shallots, mustard and lemon zest and mix until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag (or piping bag). Snip off a corner of the plastic bag and pipe the mixture into each chicken breast until filled.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat until hot and glistening. Add the chicken breasts skin-side down and cook until the skin turns a dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the butter, garlic and thyme, then flip and transfer the pan to the oven; cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

GOAT CHEESE-MUSHROOM CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Place the chicken breasts, 1 by 1, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside.
• Stem the mushrooms and place the caps and stems separately in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, and saute until all the liquid has evaporated. (This is called a duxelle.) Season well with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Smear each chicken breast with some of the goat cheese and top with some of the duxelle. Roll the breast up and tie with the kitchen twine. Season with the salt and pepper. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and sear the chicken on all sides. Continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing the kitchen twine and slicing each rolled breast into 4 to 5 slices. Top with some of the remaining duxelle and several spoonfuls of the Mushroom Wine Sauce. Serve with the Sauteed Fingerling Potatoes, garnished with the chopped parsley.
• Place the shiitakes in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Allow to sit undisturbed 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is richly fragrant and has taken on the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Strain and reserve the liquid. Discard the mushrooms or reserve for another use. In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, bring the mushroom liquid to a strong boil and reduce by half. Add the wine and chicken stock, reduce by 1/2 again. Remove from heat and add the butter, swirling the pan until the butter is incorporated and the sauce is glossy and shiny. Season with the salt and pepper.
• Using the mandoline or a knife, slice the potatoes into thin rounds of uniform thickness. Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the potatoes until cooked through with a golden, crispy crust. Season with the salt and pepper.

BALSAMIC GOAT CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour balsamic vinegar into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until balsamic vinegar mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir often.
• Cut chicken breasts from one side through the middle horizontally to within one-half inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book.
• Spread half the goat cheese onto one half of each chicken breast and drizzle 1/3 of the reduced balsamic vinegar mixture over the goat cheese. Close the chicken breasts over the goat cheese and secure with toothpicks. Arrange chicken into a baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 1/3 of the balsamic reduction.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside, the filling is hot, and the juices run clear, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of a filled breast should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

POACHED CHICKEN BREAST STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 15-20 seconds, being careful not to let it color.
• Add the stock and immediately put the spinach in on top of it. Cook, stirring quickly, because the spinach will cook down rapidly. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
• When cool, transfer to a mixing bowl and gently combine with the goat cheese.Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• If making in advance, store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• Make and assemble chicken:
• Cover the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, with a sheet of plastic wrap and gently pound to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lay each breast in the center of a clean 12 x 18- or 20-inch piece of plastic wrap.
• Place one-fourth of the cooled prepared filling in the center of each breast.
• Wrap the plastic tightly around the breast and roll up the ends, turning tighter and tighter until the breast is in a cylindrical shape; take care to keep the plastic wrap tight around the roll.
• Once the cylinder is formed, continue to twist the ends tightly until they are well sealed. Set aside and repeat with the other 3 breasts.
• If making in advance, the stuffed chicken breasts can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to several days. When ready to proceed, allow to come to room temperature.
• To cook the chicken breasts, set a large pot of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Carefully place the wrapped chicken breasts in the water and poach for 15-16 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breasts with tongs and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Carefully remove the plastic, using a sharp knife for scissors. Cut the chicken on a bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve.

POACHED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Tip the carrot, celery and garlic into a large saucepan. Tie the herbs together in a bunch with a piece of kitchen string, then add to the pan with the chicken breasts, water and 2 tsp salt (adding a little more water if it doesn't quite cover the chicken). Bring to the boil, then immediately lower to a simmer and cook over a very low heat for 10-12 mins, or until the juices run clear in the thickest part of the breast.
• Remove the pan from the heat and scoop out the chicken breasts from the poaching liquid. Slice or tear the chicken into pieces and use in salads, soups or sandwiches.

CHICKEN, GOAT'S CHEESE & CHERRY TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and stuff each with a slice of the goat's cheese and a sprig of thyme. Put in a shallow ovenproof dish.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes and scatter around the chicken with a few more sprigs of thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and splash of white wine. Season with pepper, and salt if you wish.
• Bake for 25-30 mins until the chicken is tender and golden. Serve with Saffron wild rice (recipe right).

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and rosemary and sauté until shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in goat cheese and pepper. Season to taste with salt. Using fingertips, loosen skin of chicken breasts, leaving skin attached on 1 long side. Spread half of cheese filling over meat and under skin of each breast. Pull skin over filling and secure with toothpick. Rub remaining 1 teaspoon butter over skin, dividing equally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• Preheat oven to 425°F Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

POACHED CHICKEN BREAST WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 450°C.
• Cut the chichen breasts cross-wise so that each breast becomes 2 sheets of meat. I guess that would be cutting the meat lengthwise.
• Wash and cut the zucchini and tomatoes and slice into thin rounds.
• Cut two pieces of aluminum foil big enough to fold over and seal each breast. Place one half breast on each piece of foil. On top of this, layer the zucchini, tomatoes and cheese (which has been equally distributed between the two servings). Once the filling is all used, place the remaining half of chicken breast on top, sprinkle with the Herbes de Provence, drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper.
• Seal the aluminum foil completely, place side-by-side in a glass baking dish and cook about 40 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and the zucchini still have a bit of crunch to it.