pear and brie chicken

it’s been a while since i’ve been inspired to make anything really interesting or creative.  it’s not that i haven’t wanted to, but being on the road for so long and not having my ‘own’ kitchen, it’s hard to find a groove.  we finally did a big grocery trip yesterday and i got a few ingredients for a dish i’ve been thinking about recently.

pear and brie stuffed chicken breast over a bed of fluffy white rice:

this is a pretty simple dish that starts with preparing the chicken.  i used 2 breasts, about 1/3 lb. each.  after pounding them each for a few minutes to tenderize and equalize the thickness, i butterflied each one to make a pocket for the filling adding a bit of olive oil to each.  i knew i wanted the filling to be basic with pear and brie, but i also knew it needed some other flavor (like an herb).  i wanted to use mint since it goes so well with pretty much any fruit, but i wasn’t sure how that would go with brie; and since we don’t have jobs and already had some herbs at home i went with rosemary since it has a sweet aroma like mint, but also has some robustness that would mix well with the cheese.  i chopped some rosemary (about 1 tsp) and mixed it with about 4 Tb of cheese.  a bit of salt and pepper to finish it off and we were ready to go.  i placed a sprig of rosemary in each pocket first, then spooned half of the cheese mixture in before adding the pears – 4 slices, each 1/4 inch thick per breast.  once the chickens were stuffed, i seasoned (salt and pepper) each side and placed in a very lightly oiled baking dish.  after a light coat of olive oil, i placed a few slices of pear on top of each piece and popped it into the oven for about 45 mins at 375.

while the chicken baked away, i cooked the rice according to package directions adding a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt to the rice-water mixture.  i always add a touch more water and cook it for a minute or two longer, i like to think it gives the rice a more fluffy texture vs. a more ‘grain-like’ texture. (my personal taste)

The girls always like to watch, hoping for a scrap here or there..

as an accent to this dish, i carmelized some pear slices in a tablespoon of butter.  the sweetness and soft texture of those pears ‘paired’ extremely well with the dish and just helped bring out the great fruity flavors.  once plated, i sprinkled a bit of parsley over the chicken and rice for a nice, crisp finish.

whenever kris and i have a dish like this that takes planning and analyzing, we talk about what we think of it, what it needs, what it doesn’t need while we eat it. we both agreed that the flavors were perfect together, but it needed more brie.  a lot of the cheese oozed out of the breast in the oven, even though i tried to avoid that.  i think a light dab of the cheese mixture on top, for the final 5 minutes of baking would be a nice addition.

i try to remember the stuff we talk about, but it doesn’t always go well.  so i found a recipe program for my laptop that gives me an interface to write ingredients, directions and notes about recipes.  hopefully having that will help me keep track of my creations and how to improve them while i learn how to cook..