Friday, January 21, 2011

Chicken Feta Florentine

Recipe from: Chef Keith, Minocqua Country Club
 
Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. olive oil
6 chopped shallots
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 lbs. stemmed spinach, rinsed and dried
4 ounces feta cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

Directions:
  1. Heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil in a large sautee pan. Add the shallots and cook until golden. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until lightly wilted, about 1 minute. Cool thoroughly and drain any excess liquid, then season to taste with a pinch of salt and black pepper. To complete the filling, gently mix in the feta cheese.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees on the convection setting if available or 425 degrees for conventional
  3. Gently pound the chicken breasts, skin side up (the side where the skin used to be, as these are skinless breasts) with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. ( The best and most sanitary way to do this is to lay a sheet of plastic wrap about 2 feet long on a counter top. Place the chicken breasts on the wrap, 2 towards the top and 2 towards the bottom, leaving a few inches in between each breast but a few inches away from any edge of the wrap. Then, cover with another piece of plastic wrap and begin lightly pounding each breast until the desire thickness is achieved.)
  4. Remove the top layer of the plastic wrap and turn the breasts over so they are skin side down. Divide the spinach filling onto the 4 breasts. Place it in the center of each one, extending from near the left edge to near the right. Roll the breast tightly around the filling, folding the ends in to prevent the cheese from melting out.
  5. Place the rolled breasts on a lightly greased baking sheet or casserole and brush remaining olive oil onto each piece. Season lightly with salt and black pepper then place in the preheated oven for about 14-20 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned and the juices run clear. The chicken should have a firm feel on the outside when done, even though the center will be soft because of the filling.
  6. After letting the rolls rest for 3-5 minutes they can be served whole, cut at an angle in 2 pieces or cut into 4 or 5 medallions and layered across the plate. The dish is great served with herb roasted Yukon gold potatoes and poached pear tomatoes. It lends itself well to a light lemon cream sauce, but in my opinion stands alone just fine.

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