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Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cheese

Chicken 2 whole unskinned boneless chicken breasts 2 tsp butter 2 tsp olive oil 4 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan Cheese Stuffing 2 Tbs butter ¾ cup chopped onion 2 tsp minced garlic Grated peel of 2 medium-sized lemons  1/3 cup ricotta cheese 2 Tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese 1½ Tbs minced fresh marjoram or ½ tsp dried  Freshly ground white pepper Salt Freshly grated nutmeg 1 egg yolk from large egg

1.  In a saucepan melt butter and sauté onion until soft but not brown. 2.  Add garlic and lemon peel and mix quickly.  Transfer to bowl and cool. 3.  Put ricotta cheese, 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese, herbs, and seasonings in another bowl and mix until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate. 4.  With sharp knife, trim and discard fat, sinew, and cartilage from chicken breasts, keeping skin intact. 5.  To form pockets for stuffing, gently separate skin flesh with your fingers where breastbone was keeping skin intact around remaining edges.  If necessary, use knife to cut out tissue where skin and meat are attached along center of each breast. 6.  Fill pockets with cheese mixture. 7.  Smooth skin over filling so it is completely covered, and pull skin down around filling, tucking all edges under flesh of breast.  Use metal skewers, if necessary to keep skin attached. 8.  Melt butter in skillet and add oil. 9.  Add breasts, stuffed side up and sear over high heat 2 minutes.  Turn and sear 1 to 2 minutes. 10.  Holding each breast between 2 spatulas, tilt, and sear any raw edges. 11.  Over moderate heat, sauté breasts, stuffed side up, 15 minutes. 12.  Meanwhile, place  broiler pan 3 inches from heat source and turn broiler on. 13.  Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of each chicken breast.  Press cheese down with spatula. 14.  Transfer to broiler and broil about 5 minutes or until cheese topping is light golden brown.  15.  To serve, remove skewers, if used, and cut each breast in half.

Chicken Cutlets Parmesan

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves ¼ cup flour 2 eggs 1 cup plain bread crumbs ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 6 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried 1/3 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Using a sharp knife, remove any excess fat and gristle from chicken breast.  Cut away tendon from fillet.  Place 1 breast half, smooth side down on sheet of waxed paper.  Pound cutlet until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Discard waxed paper.  Repeat process with remaining breast halves. 2.  Dust pounded cutlets with flour on clean sheet of waxed paper; shake off any excess. 3.  Place eggs in bowl and beat.  place bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oregano in another bowl and stir together. 4.  Dip each cutlet first in egg and then in crumb mixture.  Set cutlet aside on wire rack until ready to cook. 5.  Heat oil in skillet over moderately high heat until almost smoking.  Place 2 cutlets in skillet and fry until crisp and golden brown.  Turn over with tongs and fry on other side about 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and fry remaining cutlets un same manner.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Sautéed Chicken with Tart Green Grapes

2 cups chicken broth 3 pounds chicken, quartered. Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1½ cups seedless tart green grapes, (about ¾ lb) 3 Tbs butter 8 plump cloves garlic, unpeeled 3 Tbs dry white wine 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1.  In a saucepan simmer chicken broth until it is reduced to 2/3 cup. Set aside. 2.  While broth is simmering, cut away any excess fat from chicken quarters.  Rub chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. 3.  Puree 1 cup of grapes in blender or food processor for 20 seconds.  Rub puree through strainer, using back of wooden spoon to press pulp through.  You should have about ¼ cup green grape juice.  Discard pureed pulp.  4.  In a large deep non-allumium skillet, heat 2 Tbs butter over high heat.  Add chicken pieces, skin side down and unpeeled garlic cloves.  Brown chicken pieces 1 minute on each side.  Shake pan often to keep chicken pieces and garlic from sticking. 5.  Lower heat, cover pan tightly and cook 10 minutes. 6.  Uncover pan, tilt it and degrease juices.  Turn chicken with tongs and add white wine to pan.  Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes longer. 7.  Uncover pan and add 3 Tbs of the grape juice.  Cover again quickly so chicken pieces absorb aroma and flavor.  Cook chicken about 7 minutes more. 8.  Test breast quarters for doneness and remove from skillet.  Cover them lightly to keep warm and moist.  Add ½ cup of reduced chicken stock to skillet.  Continue to cook leg quarters and garlic, uncovered minutes more or until done.  There should be about ¼ cup of juices in skillet.  Return breast pieces to pan, turn chicken and garlic cloves in syrupy pan juices in order to glaze them.  remove chicken from skillet.  Cover and keep warm in oven while you make sauce. 9.  Raise heat and add remaining chicken stock, the remaining 1 tbs of butter, the remaining juice, and the remaining ½ cup of grapes.  Swirl over heat to combine.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. 10.  Arrange chicken, garlic, and grapes on serving platter.  Spoon sauce over them.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Mustard and Gherkins

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup flour for dredging. 2 medium sized leeks 1 Tbs butter 2 Tbs peanut oil 2 Tbs Cognac or sherry 1 cup chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream 2 Tbs minced gherkins 1 Tbs coarse mustard

1.  Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally and flatten between 2 sheets of waxed paper. 2.  Sprinkle chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper. 3.  Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.  Set aside. 4.  Trim off root ends of leeks and split them lengthwise.  Rinse under cold running water peeling back layers of leeks to remove all sand and grit.  Cut into ¼ inch dices. 5.  Heat butter and oil in large skillet over medium heat until butter is foaming.  Add as many chicken pieces as will fit comfortably in skillet at a time.  Sauté 1 to 1½ minutes on each side until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining chicken.  Add more butter if necessary.  Place sautéed chicken on baking sheet and keep warm in 200º oven. 6.  Using same skillet, sauté leeks on low heat until wilted, about 4 minutes.  Add Cognac and boil until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add stock, scraping up brown bits that cling to pan, and simmer until stock is reduced by half - about 3 minutes. 7.  Add cream, gherkins, mustard, and pepper.  Simmer until thick enough to lightly coat spoon, about 3 minutes.  8.  Return chicken to pan, turning with tongs to coat with sauce.  Cover and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Pour remaining sauce over.

Roasted Chicken Breasts with New Potatoes and Shallots

3 Tbs butter, softened 4 unskinned boneless chicken breast halves 12 small new potatoes 8 shallots ½ tsp salt 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbs flour 1 cup chicken broth

1.  Heat oven to 400º 2.  Butter roasting pan large enough to hold chicken breasts in one layer.  Spread skin side of breasts with remaining butter.  Place skin side up in pan. 3.  Scrub potatoes and peel shallots.  Cut both in half.  Scatter around chicken and sprinkle all with salt and pepper.  Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Place in oven and roast 15 minutes.  4.  Uncover pan and baste and continue roasting until potatoes are tender and chicken is golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.  5.  Transfer chicken, potatoes, and shallots to warmed serving platter.  Cover platter and keep warm in turned-off oven with door slightly ajar. 6.  Pour off all but 2 Tbs drippings from pan.  Place pan over medium-low heat and add flour.  Cook, stirring with whisk, 3 minutes, or until mixture is golden.  Add stock and continue cooking and stirring until sauce is smooth.  Simmer over low heat 3 to 5 minutes and taste, adding salt and pepper if necessary. 7.  Drizzle half of sauce over chicken and potatoes and pass remaining sauce separately.  Garnish platter with parsley sprigs, if desired.