Assignment #7: Family Recipe

Here is the recipe for chicken en croute and the mushroom gravy that accompanies it. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show you, and none of the pictures of this dish online look close enough to my mom's recipe. This is a recipe my mom makes only for special occasions like New Year's Day and birthdays, mainly because it's so time-consuming. However, it's definitely worth the wait for this savory dish (although I would eat this all the time if I had my way). This recipe is a keeper in my family because it's so incredibly good... plus my two favorite foods are chicken and mushrooms! We usually serve this with salad and twice baked potatoes, although you can serve it with anything you'd like. For the lighter eaters (like my 101 lb. mom), 1/2 piece of chicken is enough for dinner. For the rest of us, 1-1 1/2 pieces of chicken is the perfect portion. I slightly alter the recipe by adding mushrooms to the spinach. Most people are satisfied with the amount of mushrooms mixed into the gravy, but I'm a mushroom fiend!

Chicken En Croute

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth (10 oz)
1/2 pkg spinach (5 oz)
2 oz. mushrooms, sliced thin (optional)
1 sheet puffed pastry
salt
pepper
1 egg (beaten)
1 tbsp water

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper (lightly sprinkle). Place chicken on a foil covered baking sheet, and put in preheated oven at 350.

2. Clean, peel, chop, and cook spinach. Drain well. Divide spinach into 4 equal parts. Pour some broth on top. Stir together.

3. Cool chicken breasts while allowing them to marinate in the rest of the chicken broth. Cut each chicken breast across the middle horizontally to form a pocket. 

4. . Fill each pocket of chicken with a half section of spinach. Place the other half section of spinach on top of each chicken breast.

5. (Optional) Sautee 2 oz. thinly sliced mushrooms in butter, and divide into 4 equal parts. Add them to the spinach.

6. Defrost puff pastry for 20  minutes. Then 30 minutes before serving, cut the sheet into 4 equal parts. Wrap squares around each chicken breast. Pinch ends closed, using beaten egg and 1 tbsp. of water to hold the ends shut. Place in preheated oven at 350 for 30 min. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Gravy

1 can chicken broth (10 oz)
8 oz container of whole mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp corn starch

Slice mushrooms paper thin. In a small saucepan, heat butter on low until completely melted. Stir in mushrooms. After they are completely cooked, add corn starch and broth. Keep stirring until the gravy is smooth. (Serving the gravy on the side is recommended so everyone can add as much or as little as they want.)