Chicken In Parchment With Mushrooms, Spring Onion And Zucchini
serves 2
Making a papillote by folding a meat and several aromatic vegetables (or just several aromatic vegetables with no meat) up in parchment paper is an easy way to keep chicken or fish moist and full of flavor. These little meal packages also make a great presentation at the table.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 white mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium spring onion, white part only, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, halved and sliced into thin half-rounds
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
prep: 20 minutes
total: 1 hour
baking sheet
large bowl
parchment paper
digital instant-read meat thermometer
2. Season the chicken with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Prep the rest of the ingredients and toss the mushrooms, spring onion, zucchini, marjoram and butter in a medium bowl. Season the mixture with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
3. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper about twenty inches long. Fold it in half (like you're closing a book) then open it back up. Put 1/4 of the vegetable mixture in the middle of the center fold. Put 1 chicken breast half on top of the vegetables. Put 1/2 tablespoon of butter on top of the chicken. Cover the chicken with another 1/4 of the vegetable mixture.
4. Fold the paper over so that the two ends meet (closing a book again). Starting at either end of the center fold, make overlapping diagonal folds so that you make a tight pocket around the food. The end result will be a half-crescent shape that looks sort of like a fried pie.
5. Repeat steps 3. and 4. for the second papillote.
6. Place each papillote on the baking sheet in the oven for 30-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. When done, the papillote will inflate and become aromatic. (The chicken should reach 160F in its thickest part. The first couple of times you cook this way, you may want to take the temperature by inserting an instant-read thermometer through the parchment paper. Although the closed pocket keeps the chicken moist, it's worth checking the temperature early and often during these first attempts so that you can see how long it usually takes for the chicken to cook through.)
7. Put each packet on a plate and cut the flat end open with scissors or a sharp knife. Slide the paper out from under the ingredients (like you're pulling a table cloth out from underneath a set table.)
8. Add more salt, pepper or marjoram to taste.
