We were having chicken for dinner the other day, as we quite often do, when one of the kids said they’d love some pastry with it, like a chicken pasty and therein lies the origins of tonight’s dinner. This is one of those simple dishes where very little preparation is required and it works its magic in the oven. Pastry can be quite heavy and calorific so it’s best to serve this with a virtuous side of salad. I’ve lined the pastry with cranberry sauce and filled the chicken with some softened red onion, herbs, cheese and cooked ham. It would also work well filled with some chopped mushrooms or simply garlic butter.
You will need: (To serve 4)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion
Few thyme sprigs or 1 tsp dried thyme
Small handful fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
2 or 3 tbsp cranberry sauce (optional)
2 medium or 1 large Puff pastry sheets (425g box has two medium sheets)
4 chicken breasts
4 slices of brie or any cheese you fancy
4 thick slices cooked ham (optional)
1 egg
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.
Peel and finely chop the red onion.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and soften the onions for 5 minutes.
Take the frying pan off the heat and stir in the finely chopped (or dried) parsley and thyme leaves.
Place an empty baking tray in the oven to heat it up.
Open up the pastry sheets and use a knife to generously smear them with cranberry sauce.
Divide the pastry into 4 triangles (1 for each chicken breast)
Set a chicken breast in the centre of each triangle and gently slit the centre of the chicken.
Fill the chicken with a slice of cheese, ham and a dollop of softened red onion and herbs.
Carefully wrap the pastry around the chicken like a blanket in croissant style leaving one end of the chicken exposed.
Beat the egg in a bowl.
Place the wrapped chicken on the heated baking tray, brush with beaten egg and cook for 30 minutes until puffed up and golden.
Serve with a simple salad.
Enjoy.
Til next time, Sheila.
Herbed Cranberry Chicken with Brie & Ham wrapped in pastry
