Goat Cheese stuffed Chicken Breast and "The Fabulous Baker Boys"

It seems like I'm always looking for something different to do with boneless chicken. Chicken is such a common protein in our diets that we seem to eat it so frequently it becomes very boring when we cook it the same old way over and over. That's where my idea of stuffing a boneless chicken breast with some creamy and slightly tangy goat cheese came to mind. I loaded the cheese with a ton of flavor by adding some sautéed shallots. This is really a simple and elegant meal that's perfect for a romantic dinner for two, a special occasion , or an everyday family dinner. Add "The Fabulous Baker Boys" into the mix, and your guests and family will think they're in a gourmet restaurant listening to the soothing jazz piano.

6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

8oz log of plain goat cheese

4 large shallots

Pinch of of dried thyme

3 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley 

1 clove of garlic

kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ cup of dry white wine

4 tablespoons of heavy cream

6 tablespoons of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a small sauté pan, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Finely dice two of the shallots and add them to the melted butter and cook for 8-10 minutes until tender. Add the freshly chopped parsley and the pinch of thyme and mix everything together. Turn off the heat and remove the shallots from the stove top.

In a large mixing bowl, add the goat cheese and pour the sautéed shallots and parsley over top. Season with a touch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper and mix together until the shallots are incorporated with the goat cheese. Set the goat cheese mixture to the side.

Take your chicken from the refrigerator and remove from the packaging. I'm overly paranoid about contaminating anything with raw chicken so I place two sheets of wax paper on top of my wooden cutting board. You also of course want to thoroughly and frequently wash your hands and anything else that may have come in contact with raw chicken. What we are going to do with the chicken is cut a pouch into the side of the breast. You want to be extra careful not to go all the way through the other side or the bottom but if you do go through a little bit that's okay. If we cut all the way through or into the bottom too much our goat cheese will melt out during the cooking time. So take your knife and carefully cut into the side of the chicken breast. 

Take about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the goat cheese mixture and put into the cavity of the chicken breast. The size f your chicken breasts will determine how much goat cheese you"ll want to add but we want to be careful not to over stuff the breast. Once the goat cheese is inside the chicken, firmly press down to flatten out the breast and this will spread the goat cheese through the chicken. The cut we made into the side of the chicken should stay together with little, if any, goat cheese showing. Continue this process until all the chicken breasts have been stuffed.

Use a paper towel and pat the chicken breasts dry of any moisture that may have accumulated. Season each breast with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. We'll be giving the chicken breast a quick sear before baking them so it's important to make sure the outer portion of the chicken is dry and seasoned. 

In a large oven proof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoon of olive oil together over medium heat. The reason we use both is, the butter has more flavor than the oil but the olive oil has a higher cooking temperature so it will keep the butter from burning. Slice the two remaining shallots and add them to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the one clove of chopped garlic and cook for another minute stirring the entire time to make sure the garlic doesn't burn. Remove the shallots and the garlic and set aside for now. Sear the chicken breast on both sides until golden brown, this will take about 3-4 minutes per side. Once all the chicken has been seared, remove from the pan and add the white wine to the skillet and scrap the flavorful drippings that are left on the bottom. Add the chicken and the shallots back into the skillet and place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to make sure you've reach the recommended temperature (165-170 degrees)

Once the chicken has been cooked through, set on a tray and allow the chicken rest while we make the sauce. While the pan is still hot, whisk the heavy cream into the the white wine that's left in the skillet. If the wine has reduced too much while baking, just add another quick splash to it. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and slowly stir into the sauce until it's been melted. Serve the chicken breast along side your favorite blanched vegetable and pour sauce over top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley for presentation and serve hot.

This week's movie recommendation is the classic 1989 film, "The Fabulous Baker Boys". I was only three years old when this film was released but I was fortunate enough to discover this movie on Netflix a few years back and I instantly fell in love with it. Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges play the Baker brothers, two talented pianist who play in clubs and restaurants throughout the city of Seattle. Times are changing quickly though for the Bakery boys and jobs are becoming more difficult to book. While the eldest brother Frank (Beau Bridges) stays optimistic, Jack (Jeff Bridges) is tired of playing for empty rooms and isn't happy with their gig anymore. Frank admits that the two of them are no longer enough to draw in the crowds and suggests they bring in a singer to their act. After painfully listening to one tone death girl after another, everything changes when miss Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) enters.

With a voice like no other. Susie instantly brings the brother's act back into the spotlight and the gigs keep rolling in. With success back to the act, Frank is in his glory while Jack can't help but fall for the sexy Susie Diamond wowing the crowds night after night. Frank, knowing his brother all to well, sees the sexual tension growing and fears their once again successful act would come to a screeching halt if Jack gets is way.

Michelle Pfeiffer gives the best performance of her incredible acting career in this film. Pfeiffer was amazing not only with her acting but her vocal performances in the film were amazing - and how she didn't win the academy award in 1990 is still a mystery to me. Jeff and Beau Bridges also give strong performances and this film is rightfully considered one of the greatest movies ever made. Here is a sneak peak with the original 1989 trailer for the film.