Gorgonzola-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This has been one of my go-to recipes ever since the parentals got me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated about 7 years ago. It's a great cooking magazine because they don't take ads, minimize fluff, and just get to straight cooking things...recipes, tool reviews and little tricks.

I also love the articles because they start with something simple like, "how do you make a good carrot cake?" and then go through the several schools of thought on this and settle on a general gameplan. After that comes the part I really like...they present a few different routes to the same desired outcome and tell you why this-that-and-the-other-thing didn't work. That's just so interesting to use and it also helps the ambitious reader avoid making the same mistakes.

I could not find a nice pic of a chicken breast oozing out blue cheese and walnuts, so I settled for a cheddar and broccoli one, but you get the idea.

Follow this sometime...it's really good!


Two tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries can be substituted for the figs. The chicken breasts can be filled and rolled in advance, then refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 to 6 ounces each), tenderloins removed and reserved for another use
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion , minced
1 small clove garlic , minced
2 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese , crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cups chopped walnuts , toasted
3 medium dried figs , chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (fresh)
3/4 cup vegetable oil

See Illustrations Below: Assembling the Stuffed Chicken Breast

1. Following illustration 1 below, place each chicken breast on large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with second sheet, and pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until ¼-inch thick throughout. Each pounded breast should measure roughly 6 inches wide and 8 ½ inches long. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.
2. Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat until melted; add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside. In medium bowl using hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in onion mixture, thyme, gorgonzola, walnuts, figs, and sherry; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Place breasts skinned side down on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Following illustrations 2 through 4 below, fill, roll, and wrap each breast. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 45 minutes.
4. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread flour in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water in second pie plate or shallow baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third pie plate or shallow baking dish. Unwrap chicken breasts and roll in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, roll breasts in egg mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to bread crumbs; shake pan to roll breasts in crumbs, then press with fingers to help crumbs adhere. Place breaded chicken breasts on large wire rack set over jelly-roll pan.
5. Heat remaining ¾ cup oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 4 minutes; add chicken, seam side down, and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each roll and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return chicken rolls, seam side down, to wire rack set over jelly-roll pan; bake until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of each roll registers 155 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing each roll crosswise diagonally into 5 medallions; arrange on individual dinner plates and serve.

(click the pic below and it opens larger so you can read it better..)