Pistachio Stuffed Chicken

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Originally this dish was called Pecan Chicken, as it was stuffed with pecans. I found this recipe in an old cookbook of mine called The Great Chicken Cookbook by a lady called Judith Ferguson. I have never heard of her before, but the pictures in the book were so tempting that, I over passed my primary hesitation and I decided to give this dish a try. I didn’t have pecans in my pantry as they are something you don’t find very easily here in Greece, but I did have pistachios. Also the recipe called for pork sausage. I didn’t have that either and I substituted with bacon. My third and last change was the wine involved in cooking. The recipe called for sherry, but I was feeling sorry to open a whole new bottle for 2 tablespoons, so I used sangria of which I had an open bottle in my fridge.
That was a very delicate and elegant dish. It is completely different than all the other chickens I have made. Very tasty, but not overwhelming. The sauce gave a very aromatic note to it without covering the flavor of the chicken. I accompany it with sugared vegetables and mustardy potatoes.
I thought that such an elegant dish requires an elegant setting as well. So I had to take out my formal china and silverware. Just to let you know, I was a girl with a dowry lol. My mom while I was growing up, was buying household things like china, silverware, formal tablecloths etc. When I was asking her, why she was buying all those, she replied that they were for me when I was going to my own home. And that’s the way it happened. When I got married she gave me all these things she collected throughout the years. And her pantries emptied and mine were filled completely. So, I showed her these pictures and she was very happy seeing that I am using the stuff she bought for me.
So now that you know that I do indeed acquire formal table settings I think it is time to proceed to the main course.

Pistachio Stuffed Chicken a cousin of the Pecan Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use skin on)
3 tbsp olive oil (the recipe called for butter, but I prefer to avoid it)
1 small onion finely chopped
1/3 cup bacon, chopped (the recipe called for sausage meat)
1 ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp dried thyme (the recipe called for fresh but I didn’t have any)
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup ground pistachios (the recipe called for 1 cup of pecans in half)
1 ¼ cup chicken stock
4 tbsp sangria (the recipe called for 2 tbsp of sherry)
Salt and ground green pepper

Instructions

Take the chicken breasts and cut a pocket in the thick side of each using a sharp knife. In a skillet add the olive oil in medium heat and sauté the onion until it becomes soft. Add the bacon and increase heat to medium high and sauté until just before it becomes crispy.
Drain any excess fat and add the bread crumbs, the herbs and salt and pepper.
Lower heat to medium and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Remove from fire and slowly add the egg so as to hold the mixture together.
Add the pistachios and incorporate to the mixture.
With a spoon fill the pockets of the chicken with enough mixture so as to be able to close the pocket with a toothpick.
In another skillet add 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the chicken breasts over moderate heat, beginning from the upper side first and the turn on the other side.
Brown them quickly to seal them.
Transfer them in a casserole add the stock and cook in a preheated oven at 175° C for about 30 to 40 minutes.
When the chicken is ready drain the stock from the casserole to a small pot add the sangria or sherry and bring to a boil.
In a small glass dissolve 1 tsp of corn flour to 1 tsp of water and throw it in the stock. Whisk until the sauce thickens.
Throw couple of spoons over chicken.
I served it with mustardy potatoes and boiled vegetables, but I believe rice would be a perfect side dish as well or perhaps mashed potatoes.
Pistachio Stuffed Chicken
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Main Course
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: International
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use skin on)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil (the recipe called for butter, but I prefer to avoid it)
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup bacon, chopped (the recipe called for sausage meat)
  • 1 ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp dried thyme (the recipe called for fresh but I didn’t have any)
  • 1 tsp fresh parsley
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup ground pistachios (the recipe called for 1 cup of pecans in half)
  • 1 ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 4 tbsp sangria (the recipe called for 2 tbsp of sherry)
  • Salt and ground green pepper
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Take the chicken breasts and cut a pocket in the thick side of each using a sharp knife.
  2. In a skillet add the olive oil in medium heat and sauté the onion until it becomes soft.
  3. Add the bacon and increase heat to medium high and sauté until just before it becomes crispy.
  4. Drain any excess fat and add the bread crumbs, the herbs and salt and pepper.
  5. Lower heat to medium and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  6. Remove from fire and slowly add the egg so as to hold the mixture together.
  7. Add the pistachios and incorporate to the mixture.
  8. With a spoon fill the pockets of the chicken with enough mixture so as to be able to close the pocket with a toothpick.
  9. In another skillet add 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the chicken breasts over moderate heat, beginning from the upper side first and the turn on the other side.
  10. Brown them quickly to seal them.
  11. Transfer them in a casserole add the stock and cook in a preheated oven at 175° C/ 345° F for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  12. When the chicken is ready drain the stock from the casserole to a small pot add the sangria or sherry and bring to a boil.
  13. In a small glass dissolve 1 tsp of corn flour to 1 tsp of water and throw it in the stock.
  14. Whisk until the sauce thickens.
  15. Throw couple of spoons over chicken.
  16. I served it with mustardy potatoes and boiled vegetables, but I believe rice would be a perfect side dish as well or perhaps mashed potatoes.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Adapted from The Great Chicken Cookbook by Judith Ferguson!
Κοτόπουλο Γεμιστό με Φυστίκι Αιγίνης
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Κυρίως Πιάτο
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Διεθνής
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 4 στήθη κοτόπουλου χωρίς κόκκαλο και πέτσα
  • 3 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο (η συνταγή χρησιμοποιεί βούτυρο, αλλά προτιμώ να το αποφεύγω)
  • 1 μικρό κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
  • ⅓ φλ. μπέικον, ψιλοκομμένο (η συνταγή χρησιμοποιεί λουκάνικα)
  • 1 ½ φλ. τρίμμα από φρέσκο ψωμί
  • 1 κ.γ. ξερό θυμάρι (η συνταγή χρησιμοποιούσε φρέσκο αλλά εγώ δεν είχα)
  • 1 κ.γ. φρέσκο μαϊντανό
  • 1 αυγό, ελαφρά χτυπημένο
  • ½ φλ. φιστίκια Αιγίνης αλεσμένα χοντρά στο blender (η συνταγή χρησιμοποιεί 1 φλ. καρύδια πεκάν στη μέση)
  • 1¼ φλ. ζωμό κότας
  • 4 κουταλιές της σούπας σαγκρία (η συνταγή χρησιμοποιούσε 2 κ.σ. σέρι)
  • Αλάτι και φρεσκοτριμμένο πράσινο πιπέρι
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Πάρτε τα στήθη κοτόπουλου και κόψτε τα στη μέση σχηματίζοντας μια τσέπη στη γεμάτη πλευρά του κάθε ενός χρησιμοποιώντας ένα αιχμηρό μαχαίρι.
  2. Σε ένα τηγάνι προσθέστε το ελαιόλαδο σε μέτρια φωτιά και σοτάρετε το κρεμμύδι μέχρι να γίνει μαλακό.
  3. Προσθέστε το μπέικον και ανεβάστε τη θερμοκρασία σε μέση/υψηλή και σοτάρετε μέχρι λίγο πριν να γίνει τραγανό.
  4. Στραγγίστε οποιοδήποτε υπερβολικό λίπος, και προσθέστε τη φρυγανιά, τα βότανα, αλάτι και πιπέρι.
  5. Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο μέτριο και σοτάρετε για λίγα λεπτά.
  6. Αφαιρέστε από τη φωτιά και προσθέστε σιγά σιγά το αυγό, έτσι ώστε να συγκρατεί το μείγμα.
  7. Προσθέστε τα φιστίκια στο μίγμα και ανακατέψτε.
  8. Με ένα κουτάλι γεμίστε τις τσέπες του κοτόπουλου με το μίγμα αρκετά ώστε να είναι σε θέση να κλείνουν με μια οδοντογλυφίδα.
  9. Σε ένα άλλο τηγάνι προσθέστε 2 κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο και σοτάρετε τα στήθη κοτόπουλου σε μέτρια φωτιά, αρχίζοντας από την επάνω πλευρά πρώτα, και μετά την άλλη πλευρά.
  10. Βάλτε τα σε ένα ταψί, ρίξτε το ζωμό και μαγειρέψτε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 175 ° C για περίπου 30 έως 40 λεπτά.
  11. Όταν το κοτόπουλο είναι έτοιμο πάρτε το ζωμό που υπάρχει στο ταψί και βάλτε το σε μία μικρή κατσαρόλα, προσθέστε τη σαγκρία ή το σέρι και φέρτε σε σημείο βρασμού.
  12. Σε ένα μικρό ποτήρι διαλύστε 1 κ.γ. κορν φλάουρ σε 1 κ.γ. νερό, και ρίξτε το στο ζωμό. Ανακατέψτε μέχρι να δέσει η σάλτσα.
  13. Εγώ το σέρβιρα με mustardy πατάτες και βραστά λαχανικά, αλλά πιστεύω ότι το ρύζι θα ήταν τέλειο καθώς ίσως και ο πουρές πατάτας.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Προσαρμογή από το βιβλίο The Great Chicken Cookbook της Judith Ferguson!