Maybe it’s not the prettiest plate, but it certainly was yummy!
I had some dried figs in the pantry, and the rest of that lovely tub of Gorgonzola in the fridge, so I decided to combine them for dinner.
I started off with a fig, onion and balsamic vinegar reduction (as in the fig and prosciutto tapenade); added some sautéed aromatics and an older Riesling we had forgotten about in the stack o’ wine; and turned some flattened boneless, skinless chicken thighs into little bundles of cheese and fig stuffed tastiness.
INGREDIENTS
•Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
•Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled – I had about 3 ounces left
Fig mixture:
•1 cup roughly chopped dried figs
•1 medium onion, chopped
•2 tbsp olive oil
•2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
•2 tbsp sugar
•1/4 cup water
Aromatics:
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1 medium carrot, diced
•2 stalks celery, diced
•2 bay leaves
•Pinch of black peppercorns
•1 cup white wine
Heat oven to 375º
Pound out the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge until needed.
Heat an oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot add oil and onion and cook, stirring, for two to three minutes.
Stir in figs, vinegar, water and sugar; cover and cook until the figs are very soft, about five minutes.
Remove cover and cook until liquid is gone and mixture is syrupy. Remove to a bowl to let cool.
In the same pan over medium heat, warm 2 more tbsp of olive oil. Add the carrot, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns; saute for 5 minutes, stir in 1 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan and grab any remaining bits of the fig mixture. Simmer for two minutes or so.
Place some gorgonzola and the fig mixture on each piece of chicken and roll up. Secure with baking twine or tooth picks and place on top of the aromatics and wine mixture.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through (if you had any of the fig mixture left over, toss it in with the aromatics). I wouldn’t say no to roasting covered for 10 minutes and then finishing it up without the cover. Remove from the oven and let rest for ten minutes.
I served our chicken with smashed red potatoes with white truffle oil (thanks Gary & Carole!), and fresh asparagus tossed with roasted hazel nuts, lemon and a dash of black truffle oil (wicked easy – I’ll post that tomorrow).
I was happy; Rich was happy. But still…
Next time I think I’ll use more Gorgonzola.