Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles
Page: 142
Date Cooked: December 31, 2012
I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I'm not much of a chicken breast fan. They tend to end up dry and I don't think it's an exciting cut of meat. Also this seemed to be a crazy long recipe. Jonathan Waxman calls for four different kinds of dried beans. Unfortunately, my grocer didn't have a large enough selection of dried beans, so I had to substitute with canned beans. I adjusted the cooking time accordingly.
The first component was getting the beans cooked. I separated all the cloves from a garlic head and peeled them. I put all four varieties of beans in a pot, along with the garlic, cilantro stems, the ham hock, bouquet garni, and water. I brought it all to a simmer and let it cook until the beans were tender. Once tender, I drained the beans and let them cool.
In the meantime, I roasted the poblano chiles until they were blackened and blistered. I steamed the poblanos. Finally, I peeled the chiles with my fingers and diced them.
I crumbled the goat cheese into a bowl and added butter and half the diced poblanos. I then added chopped tarragon leaves, chives, and cilantro leaves o the goat cheese mixture. Finally, I seasoned it with salt and pepper.
With the goat cheese mixture prepped, I was ready to stuff the chicken breasts. I lifted the skin of the breast and cut a slit in the middle. I salt and peppered the chicken. I then spooned the goat mixture into the slit and pulled the skin back over the stuffing.
I heated the broiler to low and put the chicken breasts skin side up on a broiler pan. I drizzled the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I broiled the chicken until the skin was crisp and the chicken was cooked through (I made sure to check the temperature with a thermometer). Once the chicken was done, I transferred it to a platter and covered it to keep warm.
I tossed the beans with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I then added minced shallots and the juices from the chicken to the beans. Finally, I tossed in the rest of the diced poblanos, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.
I added the beans to a bowl with the torn mixed lettuces.
I then melted some butter and stirred in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I put the bean salad on a plate and topped it with a chicken breast. Finally, I drizzled the butter mixture over the chicken breast and served.
Hands down, this is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I have become a thermometer convert. By keeping an eye on the chicken temp, it ended up beautifully - juicy and perfect. The goat cheese mixture with the chicken was delicious and had tons of flavor. I enjoyed the bit of spice I got from the poblanos as well. And the bean salad was great. It had acid and texture and balanced out the whole dish. Overall it was amazing. I will definitely be making this again!
Page: 142
Date Cooked: December 31, 2012
I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I'm not much of a chicken breast fan. They tend to end up dry and I don't think it's an exciting cut of meat. Also this seemed to be a crazy long recipe. Jonathan Waxman calls for four different kinds of dried beans. Unfortunately, my grocer didn't have a large enough selection of dried beans, so I had to substitute with canned beans. I adjusted the cooking time accordingly.
 |
| Ingredients: Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, garlic, ham hock, poblano chiles, goat cheese, unsalted butter, tarragon, chives, salt, pepper, chicken breasts (skin on, bone-in), olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallot, sherry vinegar, mixed lettuces, and lemon juice |
The first component was getting the beans cooked. I separated all the cloves from a garlic head and peeled them. I put all four varieties of beans in a pot, along with the garlic, cilantro stems, the ham hock, bouquet garni, and water. I brought it all to a simmer and let it cook until the beans were tender. Once tender, I drained the beans and let them cool.
 |
| Cooking the beans |
In the meantime, I roasted the poblano chiles until they were blackened and blistered. I steamed the poblanos. Finally, I peeled the chiles with my fingers and diced them.
 |
| Getting the poblano chiles ready |
I crumbled the goat cheese into a bowl and added butter and half the diced poblanos. I then added chopped tarragon leaves, chives, and cilantro leaves o the goat cheese mixture. Finally, I seasoned it with salt and pepper.
 |
| Goat cheese mixture |
With the goat cheese mixture prepped, I was ready to stuff the chicken breasts. I lifted the skin of the breast and cut a slit in the middle. I salt and peppered the chicken. I then spooned the goat mixture into the slit and pulled the skin back over the stuffing.
 |
| Stuffed chicken breasts |
I heated the broiler to low and put the chicken breasts skin side up on a broiler pan. I drizzled the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I broiled the chicken until the skin was crisp and the chicken was cooked through (I made sure to check the temperature with a thermometer). Once the chicken was done, I transferred it to a platter and covered it to keep warm.
 |
| Cooking the chicken breasts |
I tossed the beans with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I then added minced shallots and the juices from the chicken to the beans. Finally, I tossed in the rest of the diced poblanos, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.
 |
| Tossing the beans with olive oil, vinegars, shallots, and poblano chiles |
I added the beans to a bowl with the torn mixed lettuces.
 |
| Bean salad |
I then melted some butter and stirred in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I put the bean salad on a plate and topped it with a chicken breast. Finally, I drizzled the butter mixture over the chicken breast and served.
 |
| Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles |
Hands down, this is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I have become a thermometer convert. By keeping an eye on the chicken temp, it ended up beautifully - juicy and perfect. The goat cheese mixture with the chicken was delicious and had tons of flavor. I enjoyed the bit of spice I got from the poblanos as well. And the bean salad was great. It had acid and texture and balanced out the whole dish. Overall it was amazing. I will definitely be making this again!
Enjoy!
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