This is a recipe that I cook at home myself — a versatile method for having a sophisticated meal on tap with very little last-minute prep work. This is a remarkable dish because it requires nothing but a pot of simmering water to cook it successfully; there is no butter, no oil, no sautéing, and no roasting. Yet the results are delicious. Here I've stuffed the chicken with goat cheese and spinach, but you can substitute Chopped Roasted Tomatoes ( this recipe can be found in the book), or any filling you like.
Avoid buying boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces if poissible. You'll get the best results by purchasing a whole organic chicken and removing the breast yourself.
Serve this with a small salad for an ideal lunch.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Spinach and Goat Cheese Filling
Chicken and Assembly
Make filling:
Step 1
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 15-20 seconds, being careful not to let it color.
Step 2
添加股票,并立即把菠菜on top of it. Cook, stirring quickly, because the spinach will cook down rapidly. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
Step 3
When cool, transfer to a mixing bowl and gently combine with the goat cheese.Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Step 4
- If making in advance, store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Make and assemble chicken:
Step 5
Cover the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, with a sheet of plastic wrap and gently pound to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Lay each breast in the center of a clean 12 x 18- or 20-inch piece of plastic wrap.
Step 7
Place one-fourth of the cooled prepared filling in the center of each breast.
Step 8
Wrap the plastic tightly around the breast and roll up the ends, turning tighter and tighter until the breast is in a cylindrical shape; take care to keep the plastic wrap tight around the roll.
Step 9
Once the cylinder is formed, continue to twist the ends tightly until they are well sealed. Set aside and repeat with the other 3 breasts.
Step 10
- If making in advance, the stuffed chicken breasts can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to several days. When ready to proceed, allow to come to room temperature.
Step 11
To cook the chicken breasts, set a large pot of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Carefully place the wrapped chicken breasts in the water and poach for 15-16 minutes.
Step 12
Remove the chicken breasts with tongs and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Step 13
Carefully remove the plastic, using a sharp knife for scissors. Cut the chicken on a bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve.
How would you rate Poached Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Spinach?
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Reviews (43)
Back to TopJust made this tonight. Really easy poaching method and worked perfectly. Will definitely do again with any stuffed chicken. Be sure to tie the ends of your wrap.
Bertfred2
Milwaukee
10/2/2014
My daughter and I just made this for Father's Day and it was a big hit: 30 min from start to eating. Yay!
Anonymous
Washington, DC
6/17/2012
Followed the recipe almost exactly, just upped the spinach and served with a side of fresh marinara just in case it didn't have a lot of flavor. It was my first time poaching chicken like this and because I was trying to cook to temperature, not time, think it was probably over done. Still, very healthy and very tasty. Was great with the marinara, but would have held its own without. I double wrapped with plastic -- first as directed and then again length-wise just to be safe. Had no problems with leaks or explosions. Will definitely make again with different fillings for sure. Had
rondacooking
San Francisco, CA
4/10/2012
So I had to make a last minute change as my goat cheese was bad. Used swiss instead plus added prociutto. I really like the plastic wrap/poaching method, especially for dinner parties. Much easier than sauteeing, baking, etc with guests there. I had no issue with the platic wrap, use an extra long piece and wrap, then tie them. Worked great and didn't melt at all. I'll use this method for stuffed chicken often
katemur
Schererville, IN
1/22/2012
Recipe was tasty and looked impressive. I anticipated trouble with the plastic wrap melting in contact with bottom of pot, so immersed wrapped breasts in a big ziploc filled with hot water. Even so, they both melted at contact points with the pot bottom, but the double wrapping preserved their shape and limited dissolution of stuffing. Perhaps an advisory would help that heat-resistent plastic wrap is in order. Surely would not have this problem with foil. Maybe a foil papillote around the wrapped breasts next time. Will try again.
smswinburne
Los Angeles
9/25/2011
This was very good! I followed the instructions exactly (but used pre-washed baby spinach). The trick with the plastic wrap is making sure its tight around the chicken, with little to no air pockets. When twisting the ends, keep twisting until the it starts to twist upon itself (if that makes sense)...just twist the heck out of it. And letting it sit for 5 min is very important as to not dry out the chicken. This was an excellent low fat and quick technique that I look forward to trying again with a different stuffing.
mgb0306
Seymour, CT
11/6/2010
I used foil,wrap and foil, just to make sure.I stuffed with feta and wrapped in bacon and quick fryed it to give colour.Yummy and much of the work can be done in advance.Great dinner party recipe and looks impressive.
peds111
Cyprus
3/19/2010
I added nutmeg to spinach & used shallots instead of garlic. My husband does like meat without color so I seared on stovetop & finished it in the oven. Will make again with my changes. Enjoy.
Grmysue
Palm Springs, CA
3/11/2010
Chicken didn't last past 7 minutes in the plastic wrap. Came undone and the result was a mess of diluted goat cheese and soggy uncooked chicken. Had to pitch it. I'm sure that securing the chicken in a sturdy Ziploc bag would be the better option.
Anonymous
Toronto, ON
2/11/2010
I was disappointed in this recipe. I found it to be bland and the chicken was not tender. It was a lot of work for a disappointing result. Darn!
singersus
Richmond, VA
11/5/2008
Does the plastic retain the flavor inside? I think of water as making things taste bland. Excited to try this one. Not a fan of goat cheese so hoping feta might also be good. more to come!
Anonymous
Cleveland, OH
10/15/2008
we used tinfoil instead of plastic wrap, not out of any dogma, but because that's what we had in the kitchen. It works just fine. I liked this recipe as is well enough, with some reservations. For me, it was an accomplishment just to say I had stuffed something other than a turkey, and poached it, so the recipe was a great start. Kind of like "hello world" of poaching and stuffing. However, I am really looking forward to trying all the other tasty sounding ways of cooking it next time, and trying different fillings.
ivanoats
San Francisco and London
2/11/2008
THE PLASTIC BURST!!! I endeavored to follow the directions exactly, but two things went wrong. 1) The plastic burst after 5 minutes. 2) The breasts were too thick at 1/2" and didn't roll nicely. I even tied a knot in the plastic so it wouldn't unroll-- maybe that made it burst open. I tried to rescue it even tho it was soggy and the flavor washed away. We ate it anyhow.
Anonymous
nyc
2/8/2008
The idea that the bad smell of burning plastic means it's toxic is ridiculous. Burning hair smells bad too but it doesn't give you cancer. Also note, the plastic isn't being exposed directly to fire - it's heated in water - completely different methods from the point of view of chemistry. This is a simple recipe with a million possible variations - plus it's quick and easy to clean up. Try it!
Anonymous
San Francisco
11/27/2007
Thanks to other reviews, this recipe was GREAT! I added roasted peppers instead of sun dried tomatoes - great w/ the spinach & goat cheese. Although I'm not afraid to poach in plastic, I chose to heat olive oil & garlic and brown the chicken, then I basted it in the oven w/ chicken broth - very moist & flavorful! Another hint: prepare the recipe the night before, wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate to allow the flavors to really meld together.
daisyfey65
Belton, TX
8/1/2007
