Roasted Chicken Breasts With Fennel Sausage And Focaccia Stuffing Recipes

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOT STUFFING

Steps:

• Put 1/3 cup olive oil, the garlic, 1 tablespoon marjoram, the lemon zest and juice, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and pulse to make a paste. Loosen the chicken skin with your fingers. Rub the paste under and over the skin and inside the cavity. Put the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Make the stuffing: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion, celery and dried apricots and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bread and parsley and cook, stirring, until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Fill the chicken cavity with the stuffing, tie the legs together with twine and put breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan; tuck the wings underneath. Roast until the skin begins to brown, about 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue roasting until deep golden brown, about 1 more hour. (Cover loosely with foil if it's browning too quickly.)
• Whisk the preserves and vinegar in a small bowl; brush on the chicken and continue roasting until the skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 20 more minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with marjoram sprigs.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST AND SIDE DISHES

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• To prepare chicken: If frozen, thaw the chicken breasts, rinse, pat dry and set aside. Using a large flat plate prepare the "dredging flour" with salt and pepper and set aside. Take 2 of the maple sausage links and cut them into half so you have 4 pieces. Open the chicken breasts and remove the "fillet" and reserve for another use. Make a small pocket in the inside of the breast. Place 1 of the sausage pieces in the pocket and wrap the breast around it creating a closed container surrounding the sausage. Dredge the breasts in the prepared flour and set the 4 breasts on a clean plate. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe lidded skillet. Starting with the open end first, brown the breasts fully being careful not to open the closed breast. As the breasts cook, the opening will seal making it easier to finish the searing and browning. Once fully browned cover and place in the oven and cook through. Using a small saucepan, combine basil pesto and cream and mix well. Over medium heat reduce the pesto/cream mixture by 1/3 and set aside.
• For the spinach: Plump the raisins in a cup of warm water and set aside. Cut the remaining sausage in to small pieces and set aside. Remove the frozen spinach from the package. Carefully cut the blocks into 8 large pieces. Using a lidded skillet, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and lightly brown. Add the frozen spinach and cover. When the spinach has totally thawed combine the onion and sausage and season with salt to taste. Add the raisins and their liquid and finish cooking, about 10 minutes. Allow the liquid to evaporate but do not dry out completely.
• Tomatoes, zucchini flowers and string beans: Using a non-stick pan quickly sear the tomatoes in some butter. Do not cook them longer than 30 seconds on each side. Reserve the pan and juices for cooking the zucchini flowers. Gently open the zucchini flower and remove the piston from its center. Replace it with a small piece of brie and close the flower. Using the same pan from above quickly cook the zucchini flowers. They are done when you see the Brie melting. Remove from the pan and place 1 on each of the seared tomato slices. Set aside. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the string beans and cook until your desired doneness. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon. Season with the freshly ground black pepper.
• Remove the roasted chicken breasts from the oven and remove the skin. Place one breast centered on the lower third of the individual plate. Place a zucchini flower topped tomato on each plate centered above the breast. Frame the plate with some dressed sting beans on one side and the sauteed spinach on the other. Slowly re-heat the basil pesto sauce and place 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the sauce on each breast. Serve warm and enjoy.

FENNEL-SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large deep skillet, saute 1/2 pound crumbled sweet Italian sausage in 6 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 diced fennel bulb, 1 diced onion, and 1 tablespoon each chopped sage and thyme; cook 5 minutes, then add 1 diced peeled apple and cook 2 minutes. Pour in 2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth. In a large bowl, mix 2 eggs and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Add to the bowl 16 cups toasted white bread cubes and the hot broth mixture. Gently toss the stuffing, then spread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with butter or turkey pan drippings, cover and bake 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, celery and red pepper in butter until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender; do not drain. , Place croutons in a large bowl; add sausage mixture. Stir in the parsley, tarragon, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in enough broth until stuffing is moistened and holds together. , Just before baking, loosely stuff chicken. Place with breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup broth around chicken. , Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for chicken and 165° for stuffing, basting occasionally with pan juices.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FENNEL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Zest lemon and slice zest into matchsticks. Juice lemon, strain and reserve.
• Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt. Put deep frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil and gently sauté chicken breasts, about two minutes per side, until they are about half-cooked. Remove from pan.
• Pour off oil and discard, then add fennel, wine and lemon zest to pan. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until wine is reduced by about half and fennel is tender. Add broth and cinnamon, bring to boil and cook about 5 minutes to reduce sauce a bit.
• Add chicken with its juices and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg yolks with half the lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon), then ladle in about 1/4 cup of sauce. Mix well, then add to pan, mixing well. Cook over medium heat, stirring a bit, until sauce appears creamy. Taste and add more lemon juice, if you like.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel. Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
• Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you'll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it's fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered. Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. If there is not enough, drizzle additional olive oil over the chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
• The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.

ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FENNEL, SAUSAGE, AND FOCACCIA STUFFING

Steps:

• FOR CHICKEN: Heat 1.5 tbsps olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat, Add sausage; cook until brown, breaking up lumps with back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and shallot. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add fennel; sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in focaccia and 2 tbsps parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450 F. Cut horizontal slit in each chicken breast, forming pocket. Fill pockets with stuffing. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until skin is brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, place skillet in oven, and roast chicken until cooked through and thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160 F, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Reserve skillet. FOR GLAZE: Add walnuts, shallot, and garlic to same large skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Add juice and broth; boil until slightly thickened and syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in chilled butter. Divide chicken among 4 plates. Drizzle glaze over, sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsps parsley, and serve.