Antoine Bouterins French Chicken In Parchment With Thyme Recipes

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.
• Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Mix in olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.
• Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Drizzle with oil and garnish with additional lemon juice, olive oil and basil or mint leaves.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, or grill to medium-high.
• Cut 6 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or parchment) into rectangles approximately 18 x 20 inches.
• Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Using a cleaver or heavy knife, slightly flatten each breast half.
• Combine the leeks and celery. Put about 1/4 cup of the vegetables toward the bottom edge of each piece of foil.
• Lay a chicken breast on top, and put 4 to 5 spinach leaves on top of the chicken.
• Combine the tomatoes, lemon zest, garlic, scallions, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide this mixture evenly among the packets, spooning it on top of the chicken. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the wine over each one.
• Fold the top half of each sheet of foil over the chicken so that the edges meet like a book. Fold the bottom edges up to make a 1-inch fold. Fold the 1-inch closure in half, making a 1/2-inch fold, and fold over once more with a 1/2-inch fold. Fold the sides in the same way. You should have formed a packet, closed tightly around the ingredients.
• Place on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the foil packages swell up. Or cook about 14 to 16 minutes in a covered grill.
• Serve in the packages. letting your guests slit open the foil at the table, and enjoy the fragrant aroma that steams out.
• Good with a side salad, and a crusty loaf of bread for mopping the juices.

Steps:

• Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor with the 100g butter. Blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add 50g of the cheese, 1 tbsp of the thyme leaves, some freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Blitz again briefly to combine. Add 2-3 tbsp cold water, and pulse again until it comes together into a dough. If you don't have a food processor, do this in a bowl - rub the flour into the butter first, then stir in the remaining ingredients with a knife. Wrap and chill for at least 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the 25g butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat, and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for 40-50 mins, stirring often, until sticky, golden and very soft when pressed with the back of a spoon. If they start to catch, reduce the heat further and add a splash of water. Be patient, as they will take a while to caramelise, but keep your eye on the pan so they don't burn.
• Stir in the vinegar, sugar and the anchovies. Keep stirring until the vinegar has evaporated, and the anchovies have dissolved into the onions. Remove from the heat.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to a 3mm thickness. Use the pastry to line a 23cm tart tin (use the rolling pin to help you do this). Trim the edges so they're just overhanging the sides. Patch the pastry with the offcuts, if needed. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment, then open it out again to line the pastry, and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, remove the parchment and beans, then bake for a further 5-8 mins, or until the pastry looks dry, without any raw spots.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, remaining thyme and the rest of the cheese together with a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Stir in the caramelised onions. Trim the sides of the pastry using a serrated knife to neaten the edges. Pour the filling into the pastry case and tap the tin gently on the work surface to release any bubbles.
• Bake the quiche for 25-30 mins on the middle shelf of the oven until lightly golden and set in the middle, with a slight wobble. Leave to cool in the tin for at least 15-20 mins, then slice. To make the salad, whisk the olive oil and vinegar together in a bowl, then toss in the remaining ingredients. Pile the salad on top of the quiche, or serve alongside. If you like, leave the quiche to cool completely, then chill before serving. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.