Love Birds-Chicken in Pastry
Serve with Seafood Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce and Hearts of Romaine, Palm and Artichoke with Citrus Dijon Dressing.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces skinless chicken breast, boned (about 8 ounces each)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 sprigs fresh finely chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (11 by 17-inch), (recommended: Dufour)
- 8 slices Italian fontina cheese, slices should be 2-3-inches square and 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick, cut in 1/2
- 1/2 cup fig preserves
- 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cut each piece of chicken in half across the breast giving you 8 equal portions. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes total. Remove from heat.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pastry into 8 pieces. Place a piece of cheese on each pastry square and top with spoonfuls of fig preserves and the chicken pieces. Pinch and seal the dough up and over the meat and cheese, seal with egg wash, flip the pastry packets over and brush the tops with remaining egg wash. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden.
For entree portions, simply leave chicken breast whole and cut the pastry into quarters. Trim off excess dough and use it to decorate the pastry with small cut outs such as heart shapes.
