While digging through the bottom of my freezer, I found a package of unused puff pastry dough. I wasn’t exactly sure how long the dough had been in there, but we’ll just pretend that it had only been a few weeks. I pulled the dough out to thaw in the refrigerator while I sat down to create a recipe. My mind immediately went back to some Individual Beef Wellingtons that I made a few years ago, but I knew that I wanted to put a new (and budget-friendly) spin on the recipe.
Since I had a couple of chicken breasts leftover from my Super-Crunchy Korean Chicken recipe, it made my decision pretty simple.
Chicken Wellington.
Chicken Wellington can be a little more tricky than beef Wellington, since it’s important for poultry to reach a specific internal temperature in order to be considered safe to eat. With beef Wellington, rare or medium-rare is totally okay, giving you a little more leeway with cooking times.
I needed to make sure that the chicken reached a safe temperature, without overcooking or burning the puff pastry dough. Pre-cooking and chilling the chicken before wrapping it in dough ensures that the chicken is fully cooked. This is probably the most crucial step in this recipe and you’ll end up overcooking the chicken if you pull it out of the fridge before it’s cold throughout. By chilling the chicken, you’ll only need to worry about reheating it while cooking the puff pastry dough.
Plus, you can actually cook the chicken the day before to cut down on prep time!
Since chicken breasts are not uniformly shaped, the first step is to use a little kitchen twine to shape the chicken breasts into logs. Just don’t forget to remove the string, or you’ll get a surprise when you cut into the Wellington!
You can either sous vide the chicken or bake it in the oven. If you have a sous vide machine, I would definitely recommend using it for this recipe (you can also use the sous vide cooler method). It ensures that the chicken stays juicy and prevents it from becoming overcooked.
I served this chicken Wellington with a few spoonfuls of a Mushroom Cream Sauce. The sauce is simple to throw together while the puff pastry is turning a beautiful golden brown in the oven. It’s a rich sauce and definitely one that I can eat by the spoonful!
Chicken Wellington with a Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 10-12 slices prosciutto
- 1 package frozen puff pastry dough thawed
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten
For the Duxelles:
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms whole
- 3 shallots medium, diced
- 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
For the Sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter divided
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ tbsp flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tsp thyme fresh, minced
- 1 cup half and half
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Using a few segments of kitchen twine, tuck the bottom (or thin side) of the chicken breasts under and tie the chicken to form a uniform log. Season with salt and pepper, vacuum seal, then place into a 140 degree water bath for 1½ hours to 4 hours. Alternatively, the chicken breasts can be baked in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the center of the chicken breast registers 165 degrees fahrenheit.
- After the chicken is cooked through, remove the twine, brush the chicken with mustard, and place into the refrigerator to chill fully.
For the Duxelles:
- Place the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add two tablespoons of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the mushrooms have released most of their moisture.
- Add the diced shallots and parsley to the mushrooms. Cook until the shallots have softened, then add the minced garlic and white wine. Cook until the white wine has evaporated, then transfer the mushroom mixture onto a plate to cool. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Assemble the Chicken Wellington:
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap onto the counter. Place half of the prosciutto slices on top of the plastic wrap in a thin, overlapping layer. Spoon out half of the chilled duxelles onto the prosciutto layer and spread it out evenly. Place the chilled chicken onto the mushroom paste, along the edge closest to you.
- Using the plastic wrap, carefully roll the chicken up in the prosciutto and duxelles. Once rolled up, twist the ends of the plastic wrap in opposite directions to tighten the roll, then tuck the ends under. Place on a plate and repeat with the second chicken breast. Place both chicken breasts into the refrigerator while preparing the puff pastry dough.
- Roll out another sheet of plastic wrap onto the counter. Spray the plastic wrap with a little cooking spray, then add one sheet of puff pastry dough. Use a rolling pin to smooth out the dough. Remove the plastic wrap from the prosciutto-wrapped chicken and place on the puff pastry along the edge closest to you. Using the plastic wrap, roll the puff pastry around the chicken and cut off any overlapping dough with a sharp knife. Be sure to seal the sides of the chicken as well. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap in opposite directions and tuck the ends under, seam side down. Repeat with the other chicken breast, then chill the pastry-wrapped chicken breasts in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. When ready to bake the chicken wellington, remove the chilled pastry-covered chicken breasts from the plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet seam-side-down. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the puff pastry dough is golden brown and the chicken is warm throughout.
- While the chicken Wellington is baking, prepare the mushroom sauce.
For the Sauce:
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet with the mushrooms. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir. Cook until the flour starts turning a light golden color and smells nutty.
- Slowly add the wine and half and half. Whisk until well combined and slightly thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in the fresh thyme.
- Drizzle the Mushroom Cream Sauce over the Chicken Wellington immediately before serving.
