This Chicken Alouette will add a touch of fancy to your chicken dinner tonight. Chicken breasts are wrapped decoratively in cheesy, mustardy puff pastry dough and baked until golden brown, making for a tasty and impressive meal.
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and place each one face down in the center of each pastry.
4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Place one of the smaller rectangles of pastry over the empty part of the chicken. Lightly brush the edges with the egg wash, then fold the corners of the larger pastry up over the chicken and press them against the smaller pastry. Fold the sides up and over, and press to seal, creating a package around the chicken. Place each bundle, pretty side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with egg wash.
Cut the remaining pastry rectangle into several skinny strips. Take 3 strips and braid them together, using them to decorate the chicken packages as desired with other shorter pieces of pastry, tucking the excess ends under. Repeat with all the chicken packages, brushing the decorative strips with egg wash.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake on the lower oven rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through to 165°F internally.
Allow to cool slightly, then serve as desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
You can use a different flavor of Alouette or Boursin cheese if you prefer.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts, but they may take longer to cook.
If your chicken breasts are large/thick, you may want to pound them to an even thickness to ensure even cooking.
Storage: Store chicken Alouette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.