Antoine Bouterin's French Chicken In Parchment With Thyme

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 6 boneless chicken breast halves (skinless & trimmed)
• 1 cup chopped leek, parts only
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup cored peeled cored peeled seeded and diced tomato
• 1 lemon, zest of, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 24 -30 fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, stems removed
• 6 tablespoons dry wine

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees, or grill to medium-high.
• 2 cut 6 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or parchment) into rectangles approximately 18 x 20 inches.
• 3 rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. using a cleaver or heavy knife, slightly flatten each breast half.
• 4 combine the leeks and celery. put about 1/4 cup of the vegetables toward the bottom edge of each piece of foil.
• 5 lay a chicken breast on top, and put 4 to 5 spinach leaves on top of the chicken.
• 6 combine the tomatoes, lemon zest, garlic, scallions, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. divide this mixture evenly among the packets, spooning it on top of the chicken. sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the wine over each one.
• 7 fold the top half of each sheet of foil over the chicken so that the edges meet like a book. fold the bottom edges up to make a 1-inch fold. fold the 1-inch closure in half, making a 1/2-inch fold, and fold over once more with a 1/2-inch fold. fold the sides in the same way. you should have formed a packet, closed tightly around the ingredients.
• 8 place on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the foil packages swell up. or cook about 14 to 16 minutes in a covered grill.
• 9 serve in the packages. letting your guests slit open the foil at the table, and enjoy the fragrant aroma that steams out.
• 10 good with a side salad, and a crusty loaf of bread for mopping the juices.