Brie-stuffed chicken with rhubarb sauce

An easy dish that tastes fancy!

My husband described this dish as ‘better than a restaurant meal’ and I’m inclined to agree. It’s not too fussy to prepare (and can be prepped in advance) but offers big flavour. You can use whatever soft-ripened, bloomy rind cheese you like; for a lactose free option, I encourage you to look for  Fromager d’Affinois, a delicious brie-style cheese made in the French countryside by Fromagerie Guilloteau, using an ultrafiltration process that results in a beautifully creamy texture while also making it naturally lactose-free. You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb for the sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
• 1/2 cup (75 g) finely chopped red onion
• 1 cup rhubarb, diced (1 large or 2 medium stalks)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices brie cheese
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) neutral cooking oil
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine (or water)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, to garnish
• Cooked mashed potatoes, rice or pasta, to serve

Method

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped red onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the diced rhubarb and maple syrup to the saucepan. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the rhubarb is softened. Transfer rhubarb sauce to a bowl; scoop out 4 teaspoons of the sauce and put in a separate bowl. Cover and refrigerate if not cooking chicken within the hour.
• With a very sharp knife, gently cut a pocket into the thick side of each chicken breast, cutting as deeply as you can without cutting all the way the through. Stuff each pocket with two slices of brie cheese and a spoonful of the rhubarb mixture from the reserved 4 teaspoons, pushing the fillings as deep into the pockets as possible. Secure the opening of the pockets with toothpicks. At this point the chicken can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before cooking.
• Combine the melted butter, flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a few grinds each of salt and pepper and stir again. Brush the butter mixture lightly on one side of each chicken breast.  
• In a large oven-safe skillet (well-seasoned cast iron is great), heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts, butter-coated sides down. Brush the sides facing up with remaining butter mixture. Sear the first side until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. You may wish to cover the pot with a spatter screen; do not use a pot lid as you don’t want the chicken to steam. Gently flip the chicken over; sear the other side for another 4 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and white wine or water to the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked – use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature; it should be 165F.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a plate to rest for a few minutes.
• While chicken is resting, add remaining rhubarb sauce to the pan juices in the skillet you cooked the chicken in and heat for 2 minutes until warm.
• Serve the stuffed chicken breasts over your starch of choice (I like a combination of mashed white and sweet potatoes), with the rhubarb sauce from the pan drizzled over top. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Serves 4.