I’m always looking for another great tasting chicken breast recipe and one that fits into a healthy lifestyle. Carol Fletcher’s Greek-Style Stuffed Chicken Breast does just that, plus it’s an easy entrée to make during the week.
Although the fluke recipe seems complicated, just prep the vegetables early in the day. Then it’s a perfect main course to serve at your next autumnal dinner party.
Bon appétit!
Greek-Style Stuffed Chicken BreastAdapted from Carol Fletcher’s famous repertoire.
(Serves 6)For the stuffing: Yields 1 cup
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup basil or watercress pesto
Juice of 1 lemon, to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or oil from tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, flattened to even thickness
For the marinade:
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Greek oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Smoked paprika, for dusting
Oil, for drizzlingTo prepare:Working in a small mixing bowl, stir together tomatoes, olives and garlic.
Mix well with pesto and lemon juice to blend.
Add just enough olive oil to hold the mixture together.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Stir in cheese and set aside.
Can be done ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days.
In a separate mixing bowl, stir the onion, garlic, lemon juice, vermouth, oil, oregano and salt and pepper together.
Set aside.
Holding chicken flat on a cutting board and using a sharp paring knife, cut a pocket or slit in sides of each breast.
Place chicken in a shallow glass plate and pour the marinade over it, turning the breast over several times, for at least an hour or up to 6 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle a few drops of oil on the paper.
Remove chicken from the marinade and stuff about 1 tablespoon of tomato mixture into each pocket and press the edges shut to seal.
Arrange chicken breasts on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and dust with paprika.
Place in oven and bake until the edges are brown and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
If browning too fast, tent with foil.
Serve fresh out of the oven with your favorite sides.Sautéed Fluke With Leeks, Fingerling Potatoes, Haricot Vert And Lemon Capers(Serves 6)2 large leeks, white parts only, washed and julienned
Olive oil, for sautéing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup good quality chicken stock
2 lemons, zested and juiced (zest and juice of one lemon reserved)
2 pounds haricot vert, stem end trimmed and blanched
6 fillets of fluke, spiny center column removed
Wondra flour, for dusting
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Safflower oil, for sautéing
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for swirlingTo prepare:Coat the bottom of a large non-reactive skillet with oil and cook over low to moderate heat.
Add leeks and slowly sauté them until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, then add potatoes and stock.
Cover and simmer (adding more stock if necessary) until the potatoes are just tender to the point of a fork.
Taste and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Adjust the seasonings and set aside.
Meanwhile, blanch the haricot vert until just crunch tender and then set aside.
Reheat the leeks and potatoes in skillet (adding stock if necessary to make about 3 cups) and add the haricot vert.
Just before serving, rinse fluke fillets and pat dry with paper towels.
Remove the spiny column in center of each fillet and discard.
In a shallow bowl, combine flour, tarragon, chives, zest of 1 lemon, and salt and pepper.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and cook over moderate high heat until shimmering.
Dip the fish into the seasoned flour, then tap off the excess.
Add the fish to the hot oil and sauté the fillets a few at a time until both sides are brown, about 5 minutes total.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep hot.
Add reserved lemon juice and zest to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in the capers, then taste and adjust the seasonings.
Swirl butter into the sauce.
For the assembly: divide the hot potato mixture with about half a cup of broth among six large, warm soup plates.
Arrange haricot vert on top.
Add the fish on top and spoon caper sauce over the fish.
Drizzle extra caper sauce around the edge of the soup plate and serve at once.
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