Chicken En Papillote With Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
By: Cynthia Furey
Published: Sunday, February 21, 2010 - 10:59am

Ingredients




1 boneless chicken breast (with or without skin)
salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
4 to 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 leaves basil, chiffonade
Garnish: fresh basil chiffonade

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2 Salt and pepper chicken and place on parchment sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. 3 Add onion, garlic, white wine, cherry tomatoes and basil. Wrap parchment tightly around contents and secure into a package with kitchen twine. Place on cookie sheet. 4 Place in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until thermometer inserted into chicken reads 165 degrees. Unwrap package and serve hot, with a garnish of fresh basil chiffonade.

About


I know we’re truly in the thick of winter when I bust out the papillote recipes left and right. The season and the dish remind me of each other: both bursting with warmth and comfort on the inside, like what I would imagine a family home with central heating and a fireplace would feel like. Since my apartment doesn’t have either of those, I cook en papillote to give me that same feeling of perceived warmth, and for the most part, it’s achieved, albeit on a much smaller scale. My toes are still frozen and I’m a blanket mummy, but my stomach is a happy camper, as warm as can be.
Papillote is a one-shot dish in which you place raw ingredients on a sheet of parchment paper, wrap them up like a parcel and cook the whole thing in the oven. The parchment essentially steams everything into a vibrantly flavored meal, trapping in all the aromas and juices that would have otherwise escaped in baking or sauteeing.
And perhaps what I love most about the cooking method is that it’s almost wrong how good the dish is, considering that it doesn’t adhere to the age-old notion of “the tougher the job, the greater the reward.” It’s quite the opposite — the result is exponentially greater than the minimal effort going into it. Conclusion? George Allen has probably never had the pleasure of cooking en papillote.
Cook’s note: In both recipes, the chicken can be substituted for any white fish, like halibut or tilapia. If using fish, note that it will be done at 140 to 145 degrees. I recommend testing with a thermometer to be sure.