Recipe of the Week: Savory Chicken Panzarotti with Roasted Tomato Sauce
I serve these delicious appetizers warm since they take very little time to prepare. I make them ahead and refrigerate them. Once my company arrives, I put them in the oven to bake while I serve them drinks. Serves 12. (Chef tip: When working with frozen puff pastry, make sure you defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and always keep it chilled.)
PASTRY SHELLS:
1 (16-ounce) packages of puff pastry dough
FILLING:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, finely minced
1/2 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast, small diced
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
For the filling, melt butter in a skillet. Saute shallots and chicken for 10 minutes. Add artichokes and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese, lemon juice, salt, parsley and pepper. Cool. Mix in Parmesan cheese.
Bring pastry dough to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Roll out half of dough on a well-floured surface. Roll thin and cut out three-inch circles with a cookie or biscuit cutter. Brush edges of circles with beaten egg. Place one tablespoon of filling in center of pastry circle; fold in half. (Do not try to stuff too much in — it will only ooze out.) Press edges together with a fork and prick tops of pastry. Place on a parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes.
ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
1/4 cup roasted garlic cloves, oil separated and reserved
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup Spanish onions, chopped
1 quart heavy whipping cream
2 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Toss Roma tomatoes with garlic oil, dry basil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Roast slowly in a 35 degree oven for 25 minutes. After tomatoes are roasted, place in a heavy-duty sauce pot with garlic cloves. Add cream and stock and place over medium heat. Reduce for 20 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Puree slightly with emersion blender if necessary. Add fresh basil leaves and serve.