Chicken Breasts with Lemon Thyme Feta and Buttered Leeks

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Uses Essential Cuisine Chicken Jus

Perfect for a dinner party, these tender roasted chicken breasts are stuffed with herby cheese and served with a quick but delicious vermouth sauce.
Annabel Langbein


INGREDIENTS

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g creamy feta or chevre
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp dried thyme
salt and ground black pepper
4 free-range chicken breasts, skin on
Buttered Leeks
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
2 large leeks, green ends discarded, white cut into fine matchsticks and rinsed

Creamy Vermouth Sauce
250g Essential Cuisine Classic Chicken Jus
¼ cup vermouth
½ cup cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper


METHOD

Place lemon zest in a small bowl with the juice of half the lemon. Mix in feta or chevre, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cut a pocket horizontally through each chicken breast without cutting right through. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the cheese filling into each pocket and press to sandwich evenly inside the chicken. (The chicken breasts can be stuffed ahead of time and chilled until needed.)

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200°C. Place chicken in a shallow roasting dish lined with baking paper for easy clean up. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the top and season. Roast until golden and cooked through (about 30 minutes). While chicken roasts, prepare the Buttered Leeks. Heat butter in a large pot and cook wet leeks with the chopped rosemary over a low heat untiltender but not browned (about 10 minutes).

To make the Creamy Vermouth Sauce, place the Essential Cuisine Chicken Jus in a pot with the vermouth and cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Just before serving, mix in lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, divide Buttered Leeks between 4 heated serving plates. Top each plate with a chicken breast and finish with hot Creamy Vermouth Sauce.

 

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