by Marie Simmons
from Fig Heaven
(William Morrow, 2004)
Serves 4
This elegant recipe—good enough for entertaining—goes together in a few minute and cooks in less than half an hour. Serve it with a side dish of freshly cooked green beans seasoned with olive oil, chopped fresh mint, and salt.—Marie Simmons
convert Ingredients
4 large boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, fillets removed (see Note)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced fresh green or black figs (about 6 figs)
1/2 cup crumbled well-chilled goat cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Four 1/8-inch-thick slices pancetta or bacon
1/2 cup dry white wine
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Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Place the chicken breasts, smooth side up, on a work surface with the thickest portion to your right. Butterfly the breast by cutting through the thick side toward the tapered side so that you can open the breast like a book. Sprinkle the butterflied chicken breasts inside and out with 1/2 tablespoon of the thyme leaves, a pinch of salt, and a grinding of pepper.
3. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/2 tablespoon thyme, the figs, the goat cheese, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a grinding of black pepper. Toss to combine. Spoon the stuffing onto one side of each chicken breast, dividing it evenly. Close the chicken over the stuffing. Wrap a slice of pancetta around each chicken breast. Hold the breast closed and the pancetta in place with a toothpick or a small metal skewer.
4. Oil a large (about 13-by-9-inch) shallow flameproof baking pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn and roast the other side until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven; transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil. Add the wine to the pan and heat to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits and reducing the wine to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the wine over the chicken, and serve.
Note: The fillet is the long slender piece attached to the bottom side of each breast half. They are sometimes removed from the chicken breasts and sold separately as “chicken tenders.” Pull them off and reserve them for another use, such as in stir-fries or soup.
Recipe © 2004 by Marie Simmons. All rights reserved.
[Carol Anne G.] This is a lovely recipe that is, as promised, easy to put together. My own personal taste required less salt, what with the presence of both pancetta and goat cheese. Next time, I’d leave salt out of the stuffing, and perhaps just use a pinch to season the chicken rather than the half teaspoon. The white wine syrup is a delicious finishing touch, and I’d definitely make this again for guests.
[Helen Doberstein] I am always looking for a good, easy and seasonal dish to serve as a main course for entertaining. For the most part, this recipe works well. It is simple to follow and easy to prepare. While I am not a huge fan of goat cheese, I found this pairing of the cheese and figs to be very pleasant. The chicken was moist and tender, and we all enjoyed the wine sauce. When finished, the stuffing blends together well and is mellow in taste. I would certainly make this again, but I think I may add a dash of Greek herbs along with the thyme to the stuffing so it’s not so subtle in taste. The only complaint I have is that the stuffing may be a little too subtle in the seasoning. I wanted a little more in the “wow” department.
This recipe fit the bill perfectly for the ingredients I had on hand. The stuffing was amazing. I used some fresh lemon thyme with the goat cheese mixture. In the future I will use the stuffing as an appetizer spread or just eat it straight out of the bowl. It was that good. Everyone liked this dish and I plan to keep it handy during fig season.
Nothing is more melodic to our ears than hearing “…just eat it straight out of the bowl. It was that good.” Many, many thanks for sharing, Ellie.