Dinner at home feels like an extra special occasion when you serve up parcels of parchment wrapped chicken with vegetables and herbs. This recipe is a nice introduction to a cooling technique that won’t be intimidating at all once you try it and soon enough, you’ll start using the parchment technique for fish, too. it’s a win-win: The method intensifies flavors with very little added fat.
SERVES: 2
1/4 pound baby bok choy, trimmed, leave separated
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved’
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each). pounded 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut two 12-by-17 inch pieces of parchment. Fold each in half crosswise to make a crease, then unfold and lay them flat. Toss together Bok Choy leaves, tomatoes, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves and oil in a large bowl, Season with salt and pepper.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Divide bok choy mixture evenly and place half on one side on the crease on each piece of parchment, then top with chicken and 2 thyme sprigs. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon wine. Fold parchment over, then make small overlapping pleats to seal and create half-moon-shaped packets.
- Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until packets are puffed, about 22 minutes (chicken should be cooked through). Transfer to plates; serve immediately, carefully cutting packets open with kitchen shears so as to avoid getting burned by steam.
