Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Herbed Goat Cheese
Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Herbed Goat Cheese
Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Herbed Goat Cheese
- Carbohydrate 20.48615 g
- Cholesterol 301.28 mg
- Fat 47.8034 g
- Fiber 3.09699986502528 g
- Protein 59.7462 g
- Saturated Fat 28.47069 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (523g)
- Sodium 363.107 mg
- Sugar 17.3891501349747 g
- Trans Fat 3.34263999999999 g
- Calories 752 calories
Step-by-step
- We start by roasting our peppers. We roast peppers in order to remove the skin while keeping the meat of the pepper in tact. This process also gives the peppers a rich flavor that tends to be on the sweeter side. I like to set my oven to "Broil" and place the peppers on a sheet tray on the top rack. Once the peppers have blistered on one side, you'll want to rotate them and blister all four side. Once they're finished, you'll want to place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This allows the residual heat to sweat the peppers inside the bowl, making the skin much easier to remove.
- As the peppers are sweating, you'll want to butterfly your chicken breast and season both sides with salt and pepper. I crumbled some goat cheese and rolled it around in some Herbes de Provence. Once your peppers have been peeled, lay one thick strip on one side of the chicken and top it with goat cheese. Lastly, you'll want to close your chicken breast much like a taco shell.
- If your chicken is over-stuffed (like mine was) you'll want to truss the breast using butcher's twine in order to keep the breast from falling open during cooking. Simply sear the chicken for 3 minutes on each side until it's golden brown and finish in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes.
- I wanted a very light sauce for this dish since the chicken is very heavy. In a sauce pan, I browned a bit of minced garlic in olive oil, then deglazed with lemon juice. When the lemon juice had reduced by half I added heavy cream and reduced that by half as well. Heavy cream takes on a very nutty flavor as it reduces, so this sauce will taste of zested nuts. I added a touch of white pepper and salt, but not a lot. I really wanted this sauce to be light and not take anything away from the flavors inside the chicken.
- When the chicken was done cooking, I set it aside to rest. Using the same pan, I tossed in a handful of leftover diced peppers, sugar snap peas, and some baby portabello mushrooms. I served the chicken over the vegetables and drizzled with a bit of the citrus cream sauce.
Most home cooks slice bell peppers into raw salads without realizing that high-heat roasting triggers the Maillard reaction and breaks down tough cellular walls into sweet, concentrated sugars. Broil the pepper on the top rack until the skin blisters entirely black, then trap the steam under plastic wrap for ten minutes. This thermal shock forces moisture between the skin and flesh, allowing you to peel the charred exterior away effortlessly while retaining the succulent meat inside.
Butterflying the chicken breast creates a pocket for moisture retention, but stuffing requires structural foresight. Goat cheese contains high levels of moisture that release quickly under heat, causing the cheese to liquefy and spill out if the protein pocket is left unsealed. Roll the goat cheese in Herbes de Provence first; the dried exterior herbs absorb escaping dairy fats and form a thick paste. If the cavity gapes open, tie the breast securely with butcher's twine at one-inch intervals to maintain internal pressure during searing.
Deglazing a hot pan with lemon juice introduces citric acid that breaks down fond stuck to the pan surface while neutralizing the heavy saturated fats in the cream. Simmer the citrus juice until it reduces by half before adding heavy cream, allowing the water content to evaporate and concentrate the remaining solids. When heavy cream reduces past thirty percent, lactose sugars undergo non-enzymatic browning that develops nutty, toasted flavor compounds without burning the dairy proteins. Sear the chicken for three minutes per side in an oven-safe skillet before transferring the pan to a 400-degree oven for seven minutes to finish cooking safely.
Leftover stuffed portions store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the cream sauce without splitting the dairy emulsion.
Butterflying the chicken breast creates a pocket for moisture retention, but stuffing requires structural foresight. Goat cheese contains high levels of moisture that release quickly under heat, causing the cheese to liquefy and spill out if the protein pocket is left unsealed. Roll the goat cheese in Herbes de Provence first; the dried exterior herbs absorb escaping dairy fats and form a thick paste. If the cavity gapes open, tie the breast securely with butcher's twine at one-inch intervals to maintain internal pressure during searing.
Deglazing a hot pan with lemon juice introduces citric acid that breaks down fond stuck to the pan surface while neutralizing the heavy saturated fats in the cream. Simmer the citrus juice until it reduces by half before adding heavy cream, allowing the water content to evaporate and concentrate the remaining solids. When heavy cream reduces past thirty percent, lactose sugars undergo non-enzymatic browning that develops nutty, toasted flavor compounds without burning the dairy proteins. Sear the chicken for three minutes per side in an oven-safe skillet before transferring the pan to a 400-degree oven for seven minutes to finish cooking safely.
Leftover stuffed portions store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the cream sauce without splitting the dairy emulsion.
