RECIPE: REC: Chicken with Feta and Figs

[monj]

I was lucky to find fresh figs, so I grilled some wrapped with a thin strip of prosciutto, and used the rest for this recipe. Delicious! Others posted that they used dried figs, or fresh plums with success.

DH does not like rosemary, so I used fresh thyme in the marinade.

Chicken with Feta and Figs

Ingredients

4 5- to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

1 ¼ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

½ cup red wine

8 fresh figs, cut in small dice

1 tablespoon honey

Rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Step 1 One at a time, place each chicken breast between pieces of plastic wrap or parchment and lightly pound with a mallet until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Chicken breasts should be of uniform thickness.

Step 2 Place chicken breasts in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss with rosemary, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 3 Place oven on lowest setting, around 200 degrees. Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining olive oil to pan and reduce heat to medium-high. Turn over chicken breasts in marinade to coat them, then add them to the pan, rounded side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, until cooked halfway through.

Step 4 Turn chicken breasts over and carefully arrange feta on top, dividing it equally among the 4 breasts. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves over feta on each breast. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Feta will warm but will not melt. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep in warm oven while you cook the figs.

Step 5 Add wine to pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom. Boil wine until it has reduced by half, then add figs, honey and remaining thyme. Cook, stirring, until figs break down and begin to look jammy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 6 Serve chicken breasts with fig compote on side and garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Recipe source: NYT

 

[charley]

The thought of fresh figs coming in is invigorating. DD says her tree is LOADED. Here is another

chix recipe that uses dried figs that is off the charts delicious. YOu could probably even add some feta to this for extra goodness.

Chicken with Honey, Figs and Herbs

Dried Mission figs are a staple in my cupboard. Supermarkets carry them and stores with organic selections carry the unsulphured ones. Marinating and roasting them with the chicken plumps them into a juicy condiment. The combination of the marinade and boning technique creates an oven-grilled bird with a crispy mahogany skin that cooks in half the time.

1 chicken, preferably free-range, approximately 3 lbs.. (1.3 kg)
1 bulb roasted garlic or 5-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried herbes de Provençe
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar 60 ml
2-3 sprigs each fresh thyme and rosemary 2-3
1/2 cup honey 120 ml
2 cups white wine 475 ml
8 oz. dried Mission figs, about 12- 16 225 gr
1 tsp. kosher or pickling salt 5 ml
freshly ground pepper
Prepare the chicken (or ask your butcher to do it). If doing it yourself, place the bird breast side down and cut alongside the backbone to the neck with sharp shears, using the widest
point of the tail as a guide to position the scissors.
Once the backbone is removed, give the top of the breast bone a gentle chop with a knife.
The bone may be removed completely, but cracking it will allow the bird to be flattened.
Skin side up, press down on the centre of the breast and the bird will flatten.
The chicken should marinate for several hours or overnight for best flavour. A resealable plastic bag or shallow dish is excellent for marinating and turning the chicken. Whisk together the fresh garlic,
(or add the roasted garlic to the pot), herbes de Provençe, olive oil, vinegar, honey and wine and add the fresh herb sprigs. Place the chicken and figs in the marinade and refrigerate, turning frequently.

To roast, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Choose a pan the will hold the chicken snugly.
A ten inch frying pan is excellent. Place the figs and herb sprigs in the bottom of the pan.
Place the chicken on top and pour the marinade over all. Season with sprinkled salt and pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes and reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C). After a total of 45 minutes,
check for doneness. A simple test is is to push a sharp paring knife through the thickest part of the leg and thigh. If the knife slides through like butter and is very hot to the back of the hand, the bird is done. If there is any resistance, the bird is not cooked.
Remove the bird and the figs from the pan and keep warm. Discard the herb sprigs.figs warm. Degrease the sauce if necessary, using a gravy separator. Return the sauce to the pan and boil to reduce and thicken slightly.
Carve the chicken serve with the figs and sauce

 

[deb-in-mi]

Thank you for posting!

I made fig and goat cheese scones (had to use dried) and this is a great way to use up with leftovers!

 

[cynupstateny]

Both of these recipes sound delicious!