Chicken Tarragon in a Pastry Crust (Hens in a Blanket)
The beauty of this recipe is that it looks and tastes so elegant, but is actually pretty simple to prepare for a special occasion or even a weeknight .
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine softened
- 1/8 lemon juice only, about 1 tsp.
- 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon or 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup flour (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed)
- 1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 1 1/2 - 2 lbs.
- 1 egg beaten (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a fork, combine the butter or margarine, lemon juice, tarragon, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Put the flour in a shallow bowl or plate.
- Press the dough (which comes in 8 triangles) into 4 rectangles, by putting the long edges of two triangles together.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper to seal the divisions of the triangles and make the dough thinner, so it will fit more easily around the chicken.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour. Place one chicken breast in the center of each rectangle. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast. Wrap one rectangle of dough around each chicken breast and pinch the edges and ends of the dough to seal it.
- Place the packets seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet, and cut a small slit in the top of each packet to let the steam out. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
- If you would like a shinier crust, remove the chicken from the oven after 15 minutes and use a pastry brush to brush the dough with the beaten egg. Bake it for about 5 more minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Make and refrigerate the butter mixture, put the flour in a shallow bowl or plate.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use fresh tarragon and double the tarragon as well as the garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice before combining them with the butter.
Tip: If your chicken has skin, and a recipe calls for skinless chicken, use a paper towel to grab the skin and then pull it up and off the chicken.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 470, Total Fat: 17g, 26%; Saturated Fat: 7g, 35%; Cholesterol: 110mg, 37%; Sodium: 310mg, 13%; Total Carbohydrate: 35g, 12%; Dietary Fiber: 1g, 4%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 41g
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