WetLeather Recipe Database - food for bikers

Name:	Poulet Farci au Basilic	Contributor:	Debb Kopp
Description:	Elegant stuffed chicken breasts	Posted:	2004-02-06
Key words:	chicken, leek, French	Category:	Main Dishes
ID:	445	Updated:	2005-12-02 09:34:07
Ingredients:	1/2 c fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish 2 Tbsp virgin olive oil, divided 4 chicken breast fillets, about 4 oz each 1 leek, thinly sliced 3 Tbsp light cream (1/2 & 1/2) salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation:	Preparation: 10 minutes [HA!] Chop the basil leaves finely or pound them to a puree in a mortar. Mix well with 4 tsp of the oil and set aside. Place the chicken fillets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to an even thickness with a meat mallet. Spread 2 tsp of the basil puree on each fillet and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Brush the chicken rolls with 1 tsp of the oil. Place rolls in a large non-stick skillet and cook over moderate heat, or broil (grill), turning frequently, until cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add cream and the remaining basil puree. Season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide basil and leek mixture among 4 plates. Place a chicken roll on each plate. Garnish with extra basil and serve.
Notes:	Serves 4. Per serving: 238 calories 29 g protein 13 g fat 2 g carbohydrate >.8 g dietary fiber 177 mg sodium 1.1 mg iron 70 mg cholesterol The recipe is from the Provence area of France: "Spirituelle, or witty, is how the Provencaux describe their cuisine, which is more reminiscent of Mediterranean cooking than it is of the cooking of the other regions of France." I used the broiler method and, at 20 minutes cooking time, the chicken rolls were done but very moist. I also used the leek and basil sauce on top of the chicken rolls, instead of under or on the side.
Equipment: