Stuffed Savory Chicken Duxelles

You learn something new every day. Apparently, my lesson for Tuesday April 14th wasn't oh shit I better print and sign my taxes, it was what "Duxelles" means. Duxelles is a thick paste of mushrooms, shallots and herbs. See how simple that lesson was.

The recipe was pretty simple and provided a nice alternative from my typical breadcrumb, cheese and spinach stuffing. The white wine in the stuffing reduction provides some nice, subtle flavor to the meat too.


Chicken Stuffed with Savory Duxelles
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 lb. White button mushrooms, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin, split

Heat oven to 400°. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic and shallot; sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their juices, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add white wine, and continue cooking until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the parsley.

Pull skin back from one chicken breast, keeping skin attached at one end. Season with salt and pepper. Mound 1/3 cup mushroom filling on breast; pull back over filling. Tuck ends under breast, forming a ball. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Return chicken to sauté pan and brown for about five minutes, turning to brown evenly.

Place stuffed breasts in a roasting pan, keeping them close together but not touching. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over top. Transfter to oven; roast until skin is golden brown and chicken has cooked through, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Stuffed Chicken in Chardonnay Cream Sauce

I have made this recipe since the early 1990s. I had caught it watching a Northwest cooking show when spending a summer with my dad in, of all places, Boring, Oregon. Fortunately, the local PBS station was anything but boring when it came to some delicious recipes. I don't recall the show's name but it was sponsored by Chateau Ste Michelle Winery.

The recipe that follows is not from the original television show. I have modified the original to make it less complex, but still retain the complexity of the flavors.

Enjoy! This is always a hit and, believe it or not, it only takes less than hour from preparation to on the table. I made tonight after work without much effort.


Stuffed Chicken in Chardonnay Cream Sauce
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of spinach, coarsely chopped, uncooked
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg, whites only – discard yolk
2 oz. Goat cheese
1 shallot, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Cook spinach in lightly oiled pan for about 3 minutes too soften. Fillet chicken breasts by cutting through middle of thickest side, but keep attached, as you will use the filleted chicken center as a pocket for the filling. For the filling, mix the cooked spinach, goat cheese, breadcrumbs, egg white, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon filling in chicken breasts, about a tablespoon or more, filling them enough but not too much that you can’t wrap the chicken around the stuffing. Secure the chicken around the stuffing using toothpicks, about 3 per chicken. Make sure you leave some of the toothpick ends poking through enough so they are easy to remove after cooking.

Heat sauté pan on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter to pan. Add chicken when bubbling. Cook on each side to brown for about 2-3 minutes per side for about 10 minutes total. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil if necessary to keep pan well oiled. After browning chicken, move pan to oven and heat for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and remove chicken breasts from pan. Set aside. Being careful with hot sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt adding diced shallots. Cook for about 1 minute and then add wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce wine to about half, about 3-4 minutes. Add heavy cream and whisk sauce adding salt and pepper to taste.

Plate chicken by cutting into one inch thick slices at diagonal. Drizzle sauce over cut, stuffed chicken.