Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Paper Wrapped Chicken Bundles

Poulet en papillote. Chicken in parchment. There is a recipe for it in the South Beach Diet cookbook but I got bored with it. Since I'm cooking for Phase One, I left out the sugar. I also left out the salt because it really didn't need it.  In my iteration, marinated chicken is wrapped in parchment bundles with bits of vegetable, and,  instead of deep frying, it is baked for just 5 minutes. The secret is to add a little oil to the marinade and slice the chicken into thin slivers with a sharp knife. Try these variations, such as, other kinds of meat, fish, and shrimp. This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Oriental Cookbook.

Ingredients for marinade
2 chicken breasts sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 tablespoon minced scallion
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Sliver of chicken sliced on the diagonal
Slice the chicken breast on the diagonal into 32 slivers of meat. To make it easier to slice, partially freeze the chicken. Place in a medium bowl with the marinade ingredients. Toss to coat thoroughly. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut parchment paper squares and prepare vegetables for bundles.

Ingredients for bundles
32 five-inch squares of parchment paper
32 snow pea pods sliced in half on the diagonal
4 scallions sliced on the diagonal in 1 1/2 inch lengths

Ingredients ready for assembling into paper bundles

Place a parchment square with a pointed side facing you. Put two halves of pea pods in the center with a few scallions. Put a sliver of chicken on top.


Fold the bottom of the parchment towards the top, covering the filling. Crease. Fold the sides towards the center. Tuck the top flap into the folds.
Paper wrapped chicken bundle
As you wrap, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the bundle on a baking tray. Continue bundling and wrapping.
Bundles on a baking tray
Bake the bundles for 5 minutes. Through the parchment paper, you will see the chicken has turned a creamy color and will no longer be pink.
Chicken "en papillote" with sesame rice salad

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