Chicken with Goat Cheese and Basil
I'm on a roll this week ~ four posts in three days ~ and it's showing in the waistline! By Fridays I'm ready to go out to dinner - but the hubby has been power-washing the deck little by little each night after work, and his goal is to be done by the end of this weekend. Hence I'm cooking and posting this Friday.
I know I've said this before, but I just love Ina! She is so fun to watch and her recipes are always so simple. I think that is becoming a theme for me as of late ~ simple. I remember the days I would spend four to five hours in the kitchen on a weeknight preparing and cooking a meal!
Chicken and fish are always a good choice when you want to get a meal on the table in a short amount of time and this chicken dish certainly qualifies; not that I was looking for something quick tonight, but when I read that you place goat cheese (my all-time favorite) and basil under the skin before baking, I could not resist. And for good reason... this was delish!
You will want to use the herbed goat cheese for sure, for it adds a lot of flavor. My chicken turned out really moist as you can see in the picture. Though I may have to attribute that to the chicken itself that I purchased at Diablo Foods. They do have the BEST chicken. We used to throw pool parties at our old home and Andy would barbeque chicken that everyone would rave about. He would humbly say it was not his barbequing skills, but the chicken (from Diablo Foods) itself, for it always turned out moist no matter how he cooked it. And I must say that I have never baked chicken breasts that came out this moist before.
Success meter (1-3): 3
I was hoping that the basil leaf would
show through the skin...
Chicken with Goat Cheese & Basil
Serves 4-6
6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
8 to 10 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet
6 large fresh basil leaves
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch thick slices and place 1 or 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won’t dry out. With your fingers, rub each piece with olive oil, then sprinkle them very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35-40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.
The chicken breasts may be assembled ahead and refrigerated. Bake just before serving.
Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa at Home
Wow great photos, great recipes and great taste. Thank you for this great way to make a delicious recipe. The chicken finally tastes delicate thanks to the marinade.! I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the great recipe!!
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