Another Chicken Bryan Variation

I suppose that by the time one uses a copycat recipe and then changes it yet again, it is absolutely no longer that original recipe. I am talking about Carraba's Chicken Bryan, of course. When we lived in Florida, we went to Carrabas a few times, and Chicken Bryan was what I ate each time. I just loved it that much. There is nothing in the recipe that I do not like, so that is an optimal start. Once we moved, and Carraba's is not available here, I just gave that idea up. 

And then one day some time back I was online and came across a recipe for "Chicken Bryan". This recipe is another of those that I did not keep the website information for, and cannot find it again, for the life of me. I printed the recipe out...and forgot about it.

Yesterday I was trying to come up with some idea for supper. I just had my kids visiting, and was kind of "cooked out", but I needed to make something. I thought about pork chops, and I knew I had some chicken breasts in the freezer. I wracked my brain for an idea....and suddenly remembered this "Chicken Bryan" recipe I had tucked away. I couldn't remember all the ingredients off the bat, but was sure there was goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, which I had on hand. When I found the recipe, it also had white wine and lemon juice, which I had, and called for Fettuccine, which was also in the pantry. 

My Mock Mock Chicken Bryan with a glass of Conundrum White

I read through the recipe, which stated it needed 13 tablespoons of butter (plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil). For a recipe with two chicken breasts, which I would assume is a serving for two people, that seemed awfully excessive. The person writing said that they doubled the sauce part of the recipe because they liked a lot of sauce. That almost freaked me out to think about, truly! That is 3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons of butter. For two people! Yikes!

I realize that in restaurants, they use a lot of butter. It just makes things taste better. It doesn't mean I want to take that practice home. And that is also why I rarely go out to eat anymore. I prefer to make my own food, so I know absolutely all of the ingredients used. I determined to start with slightly less than half of the original 13 tablespoons.

I have been using my kitchen scale a lot, so I thought nothing of reading the recipe to state 2½ ounces of sun dried tomatoes. It did not even occur to me to see how many tomato halves that turned out to be. I actually used only 2 ounces, and that might have been 6 or 7 tomato halves altogether. The fact that the recipe stated the tomatoes should be "drained and chopped" told me they were using sun dried tomatoes in oil, which I also had on hand. The last thing I needed was some fresh basil. Lately, when fresh basil is in the house, it is going towards another batch of Pesto, but by coincidence, I had a small bunch of basil in a glass of water on the windowsill. It was meant to be.

Absolutely delicious Mock Mock Chicken Bryan

The large amount of butter is used to make the wine and lemon juice sauce into an emulsion at the end of cooking. For any who do not realize this, it is easy to make a quick and impromptu sauce this way for most things made in a skillet. If I make pork chops, and there is a little liquid left in the pan when they are done, I might add a couple of tablespoons of cold butter to the pan and stir them around until it melts and makes the liquid slightly thickened. Alternatively, if there is some good "fond" (all the crusty bits left in the bottom of the pan), just splash in a little wine, water or stock and stir up all that goodness left in the pan, then add in the butter to emulsify the liquids. Instant sauce. 

I have no recollection of what kind of pasta was served with the Chicken Bryan in the Carraba's I frequented. Assuredly, being an Italian restaurant, it was some kind of pasta. The recipe I had on hand called for Fettuccine. I had some in the pantry, so Fettuccine it was. I have seen online photos of "Chicken Bryan" with a penne type pasta as well. Serve it with whatever pasta you desire.

Things I did differently than the online recipe on hand: 

• less butter
• less sun dried tomatoes
• more onion
• added japlapeno
• added capers
• used no extra salt or pepper at the end of cooking

Mock Mock Chicken Bryan

Mock Mock Chicken Bryan

Serves 2 - 3
About 40 minutes, start to finish

½ pound pasta of choice, Linguine, Fettuccine, Penne, etc.
1 tablespoon salt (for pasta cooking water)
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 ounces (6 - 8) sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
4 ounces goat cheese (Chevre or Montrachet), sliced or broken into small chunks
1 - 2 tablespoons capers
½ - ¾ cup fresh basil, in chiffonade

FOR the SAUCE:
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (seeded if you want less heat)
½ cup white wine (I had Chardonnay opened)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Set a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add in the tablespoon of salt (I use coarse sea salt) and add in the pasta. Cook according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse lightly so it will not stick together while waiting to be used.

At the same time, have a large skillet heating and add in the olive oil. Dry the chicken breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Saute the chicken until it is nicely browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a platter. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.

Into the same skillet, add one tablespoon of the butter until melted. Add in the onion and garlic with the jalapeno and saute until the onions are golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Lower heat and begin adding the remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly until each pat of butter is completely melted and incorporated. Add the pasta and the chicken with half the goat cheese, all the sun dried tomatoes, the capers and half the basil chiffonade. Toss well to combine. Divide between 2 or 3 plates, as desired. Top with the remaining goat cheese and basil chiffonade to serve.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Greek Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts for Dinner

Long, long ago, I made something similar to this, and it stayed in my memory. I remember the flavors being great. The most likely reason I never went back to make it again is because I dislike frying food. I really dislike the cleanup afterwards, with everything grease-spattered. Considering it has been at the very least 30+ years since the last time I stuffed chicken breasts and fried them, I thought maybe it was time to revisit this idea.

Clockwise from top: thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary

I had skinless boneless chicken breasts to use. My recollection from that last time was cutting a pocket into the meat. Basically, lay the breast flat on a cutting board and with a small, sharp paring knife, knife blade parallel to the cutting board, cut into the thicker side of the breast, keeping the opening small, but sliding the knife towards the top end and then see-sawing to the bottom end, creating a pocket, but without too large an opening on the outside. The most important thing is not to poke the knife out the other side, or even worse, through the top or bottom of the meat.

I chose Greek flavors to stuff the chicken, mainly because I already had a block of Feta cheese in the fridge. I thought about what else to use that would be Greek or Mediterranean and since my sister-in-law has all my herbs growing at her house, I took a walk over there and picked marjoram, oregano, thyme and rosemary. I particularly wanted marjoram for the flavors because of its somewhat more floral scent. If marjoram is not available, just use the whole amount of oregano. Along the way home, I stopped in the grocery for a lemon. Thinking of the possibility of using sun-dried tomatoes, I thought that oil packed would give more concentrated flavor. I considered capers, but left them out this time.
 

Greek Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Putting the whole thing into practice was relatively simple. I made the pockets in the chicken breasts and set them aside. I put a chunk of the Feta into the food processor to break it up finely, adding minced garlic to ensure it was evenly distributed. I did the chopping of herbs by hand. I had more than I needed, and since I was steaming fresh green beans to accompany the chicken, I added the leftover chopped herbs to the beans when they were finished. I used seasoned flour and egg to make the outer coating for the chicken; first in flour, then egg, then flour.
 

Chicken, frying

Actually frying the chicken took longer than I wished, but I kept the heat on medium low because I wanted the chicken cooked through but not burnt. I did not time it precisely, but I would estimate at least 15 minutes per side, before it reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees on my Thermapen instant-read thermometer. I realize how expensive this little tool is, but it is worth its weight in gold. Truly!

Ultimately, despite the mess all over the stove to clean, the chicken was most delicious. My husband again was thrilled with the outcome. My photos did not come out as I had wished, but hopefully they give enough of an idea of the great outcome of this dish.

Greek Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Makes 4 servings

Greek Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 ounces Feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1½ teaspoons fresh, minced rosemary leaves
1½ teaspoons fresh, minced thyme leaves
1½ teaspoons fresh, minced oregano leaves
1½ teaspoons fresh, minced marjoram (OR use 3 teaspoons fresh oregano, if marjoram not available)
1 tablespoon minced oil-packed sun-dried tomato
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 egg
1 - 2 tablespoons milk or water
2 tablespoons oil, for frying, as needed

Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper toweling. With a very sharp paring knife, insert the knife tip into the thicker side of the meat. Slide the knife upwards first to the rounded end of the meat, being careful not to poke all the way through. With a gentle, back-and-forth, sliding motion, slide the knife blade to cut a pouch, extending down as far as comfortable into the narrow end of the chicken. Try to keep the original opening no more than 2 inches wide. Do this with all 4 chicken breast pieces and set aside.

Cut a 2" slit, slide knife blade upwards and down to make pocket

Place the feta cheese into a food processor with the garlic and lemon zest and process fine. Chop all the herbs and add them to the processor and pulse once or twice. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the minced sun-dried tomato, stirring to combine. Divide the cheese and herb mixture into 4 portions. With one hand, open the pocket of one chicken breast and with a small spoon, insert one portion of the cheese herb mixture. Use a fingertip to push the mixture both upwards and downwards in the pocket. Press the edge of the pocket to close and press the surface gently with fingers to spread the mixture to lay smoothly inside. Do this with the remaining 3 chicken breasts and filling.

Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. In a separate, wider container, mix together the egg and milk or water with a fork to combine. Dredge the chicken breasts first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then back in the flour mixture. Set them aside for at least 20 minutes to set the coating. If longer, place them in the refrigerator.
 
Heat a large skillet and add the oil. Place the chicken breasts smooth side down into the hot oil. Start with medium low and fry the meat until very golden, about 15 minutes. Turn gently and fry the opposite side until golden and the internal temperature is at least 160 to 165 degrees. Do not cover the pan to speed the cooking as this will make the coating soggy and the cheese will ooze out.


NOTES: If other herbs than used in this recipe are desired, I would recommend using 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill instead and 3 - 4 teaspoons chopped capers instead of  the sun-dried tomatoes. This will be my next experiment!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Craving for Pasta

Today, as I sat working at my computer, I started craving pasta. I haven't had pasta for a while. I had nothing in mind, except something quick and easy. Well, I did have something in mind, but since I knew I did not have the key ingredient - fresh basil - that wasn't going to happen; not today. 

Creamy Penne with Sundried Tomatoes & Olives

So I popped downstairs and started rooting through what I had on hand. I had penne pasta; check. I went to the fridge and deliberated. What sounds good, hmmm? Cheese, of course. I had a chunk of Pepperjack so I got that out. I wanted olives and maybe capers; check. Cream would be needed to melt the cheese into. Ah, and sundried tomatoes. I had a batch of tomatoes I had dried in my dehydrator in the summer when the tomatoes were coming in left and right. I had stored them in a zip top baggie in the vegetable drawer, so I got those out. One lonely lemon left, so I got that out. I switched from capers last minute to using green peppercorns in brine. These are much more available than they once were. They are whole green peppercorns, in a salty brine liquid, usually found in a little jar, similar to the tall, thin caper jars. Sometimes they are found in little tins. The peppercorns are firm, but not crunchy and add a nice piquant note and a little burst of heat. I love these things, but my husband does not tolerate them, so I have to be judicious in their use. Since I knew he would not be eating this dish, as he also hates olives, I felt free to add the little peppercorns.

Okay, so what to do, specifically? I set water to boil, while I thought. I heated a skillet and put in olive oil. I sliced a smallish onion into wedges and put that in the skillet to saute. When I saute large chunks of onion like this, as also for a stir-fry, I like to add in an acidic ingredient, to help both with steaming the onion a bit, but the acid (lemon juice or vinegar) also contributes to the flavor. On medium high heat, the liquid from one lemon doesn't take long to completely evaporate. This leaves behind a great concentrated flavor to combine with the flavors that follow. I knew I was adding cream, so it was important for the lemon juice to boil out. I just added things as I thought of them, and what came out was really delicious.  I didn't need any salt; with the lemon juice and zest, and all the cheese and the olives, there was more than enough saltiness already. Here is what I did:

Creamy Penne with Sundried Tomatoes & Olives

Creamy Penne

Serves 4 

8 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, in wedges
1 lemon, zest set aside
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned (not oil-packed)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces Pepperjack cheese, grated
12 green olives, rough chopped, 2 reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons green peppercorns in brine, optional, OR fresh-cracked black pepper
2 scallions, chopped

Cook the pasta in a large pot of water with a tablespoon of salt. When it is al dente, drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion wedges. I like narrow wedges; cut them as you prefer. Allow the onions to saute, tossing occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and continue to stir. Add the garlic and sundried tomato chiffonade to soften while the lemon juice is still in the pan. Once the lemon juice has cooked out, add in the lemon zest and the grated cheese. Once the cheese is nearly melted, add in the olives and green peppercorns with one of the scallions. When heated through it is ready to serve. Garnish with the reserved olives and scallion.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.