Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry

Hi! Today's post is one of my favorite recipes from childhood. Having not lived with my folks for the last several years, I haven't had the chance to eat it very often! So, the other day I got the recipe from my wonderful mother (who is retiring this week after approximately one million years in healthcare - thanks for all your years of service, Mama) and, with her blessing, will be sharing it with all of you today!

This recipe is delicious. It isn't the healthiest choice in the world, but it is a wonderful treat, especially during rainy weather. It is incredibly easy, but doesn't taste like it is. It just might be the perfect dish for company! Let's make some delicious...

...Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry

Serves 4

Note: I would suggest that you make a side dish of your choosing with this recipe. My husband and I ate kinda late and the chicken was plated before I remembered the broccoli was still in the bag. So whip up some of your favorite veggie and feel a little less guilty about this indulgent dish!

For this recipe, you'll need:

*1 397g package of frozen puff pastry (I use Tenderflake brand)

*flour for dusting 

*8 small or 4 good-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts (fresh, not the frozen kind)

*2 150g packages of Boursin cheese, Garlic & Fine Herbs flavour

*1 tbsp butter, melted

*salt and pepper

*1 egg

*1 tbsp room temperature water

*olive oil

*1 sweet yellow onion

*2 leeks

*1/2 a chicken stock cube

Note: Allot time for the puff pastry to thaw before you begin cooking. You can thaw the package overnight in the fridge, or let it sit on the counter for about two hours. I like to take a package out of the freezer, open it up, break it in two pieces, put on a plate on the counter, and go get the rest of my groceries. Do whatever suits you and your schedule. 

Preheat your oven to 400F. 

Once the puff pastry is ready, cut both halves in four equal pieces each. Sprinkle some flour on a clean countertop or a piece of parchment on another hard surface. Rub a little extra flour on your rolling pin, and roll each piece out as flat as you can. And then roll them a little flatter, trying to keep it as square as possible. 

And then a tiny bit flatter. 

If you have four good-sized chicken breasts, cut them in half at an angle, so that they resemble eight small chicken breasts. The ones I bought at the store were on the small side, so I skipped this step. Take all the chicken breasts and lay them flat in a large Ziploc. Seal the bag and pound the chicken breasts with a rolling pin or culinary hammer. Don't hit your fingers or your table, please! Once the chicken breasts are a little flatter, they're ready to be put into the pastry pouches. To get the cheese ready, unwrap both packages of Boursin and cut them into quarters. You should now have eight pieces of rolled out pastry, eight pieces of slightly pounded chicken breast, and eight chunks of Boursin cheese. 

Take a piece of pastry, lay the chicken in the middle of the square, and spread one eighth of the cheese on top of the chicken. Add a little pepper and salt. With a teaspoon, drizzle a tiny bit of butter around the edges of your pastry. 

Note:Please keep in mind that you are handling raw chicken. It is imperative that you don't touch the chicken and then touch something else without first washing your hands. If you are going to reserve any of the Boursin cheese for another use, separate the cheese you are using first so that you don't get any of the raw chicken juice in your cheese. Please always be careful when handling raw chicken! 

Now gather the edges of the pastry and squeeze them together along the top, creating little pouches and sealing in all that yummy cheese. Transfer them from your work area to one or two baking sheets covered in tinfoil, depending on your sheet and oven size. The tinfoil will save you a lot of clean up later. 

Crack the egg into a small bowl, and whisk in the tablespoon of water. Once it is nice and foamy, you have your egg wash. With a brush (I like the silicone ones), coat the pouches with the egg and water mixture. Don't use so much that it pools on the baking sheet, or it might burn. Just coat them all lightly, covering as much of the pastry as you can see without flipping the pouches over. 

Once all the pouches are sealed and covered in the egg wash, put the tray(s) in the oven. After 25 minutes, check on the chicken. When you cut into a piece of chicken, there should be no pink visible in the flesh. If you have a meat thermometer, government food regulations say the breast should be 170F. The cheese makes it hard to see any juices flowing, but when cooking chicken, always make sure that the juices run clear (if it's possible to see them). If the chicken isn't done yet (mine always takes about 35 minutes), turn the temperature down to 350F, and return the pan(s) to the oven. Keep checking it every five minutes. It should be done within 45 minutes, total. 

Now, jumping back a few steps... After you put the chicken in the oven, chop the leeks. Cut about two inches off the top (the green stalks) of one and an inch off the white part. Cut it in two lengthwise, and then chop the two halves into one inch chunks. Repeat with the second leek. Put the chopped leeks into a strainer or colander and wash them really well. Since leeks have so many layers, they trap a lot of dirt and sand. Make sure to wash them well so you avoid getting a nice gritty mouthful of sand during dinner. Leave the leeks in the colander or strainer to drain the water, and chop the onion. Put two tablespoons or so of olive oil in a deep frying pan or pot on medium-high heat and wait for it to be warm. You will know it's ready when you can feel the warmth if you hold your hand about five inches above the pan. Add the onion. Wait for them to soften a little bit, about five minutes. Shake as much water off the leeks as you can, and then add them to the onions. Leeks take quite a while to soften, about twenty minutes. Stir them regularly to ensure they don't burn. Ten or fifteen minutes after you put the leeks in the pan, add the stock cube. Crumble it up before you add it so that it mixes in easily. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

If the leeks and onions are ready before the chicken, just turn the heat down and let them stay warm while you wait for the chicken to be ready. When you take the chicken out of the oven and ensure that it is fully cooked, give it a few minutes to cool. Now get everything plated as quick as you can, cause it's time to enjoy delicious Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry!

xoxo, 

Claire