Chicken Bayou Lafourche (photos)

This may be the best recipe I have posted.

About thirty years ago, I belonged (business membership) to the University Club in Jackson, MS. I have no doubt at that time it was the best restaurant in Jackson, with the restaurant at Jackson Country Club a close second. Sadly for most folks, both were private restaurants. Never had a client not rave after a dinner there.

A trip to the University Club was always a rare experience of grace, sophistication and really good food. This recipe comes courtesy of the Chef at the University Club.

Chicken Bayou Lafourche

Crawfish and Crab stuffed Chicken with Andouille Tarragon Cream Sauce

This serves four

You'll need



2 boneless chicken breasts – pounded flat and thin.

Stuffing for Chicken

4 ounces chopped (medium fine) crawfish tails
4 ounces Crab Meat
1/2 Tablespoon Sherry
1/2 teaspoon Pernod
1 Tablespoon finely diced shallot
3 Tablespoons finely diced celery
3 Tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon diced garlic
1/8 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon tarragon, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped green onions
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup (thick) Béchamel Sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup, AP flour to coat chicken roll
1/4 cup vegetable oil to fry the rolls

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking pan and set aside.

Pound the chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap to flatten to 1/8 inch. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.



Prep the stuffing ingredients



Clockwise from top left:

Shallot
MD made (from a piece of slow toasted baguette) bread crumbs
Crab
Garlic
Tarragon
Rosemary
Basil
Celery
Green onions
Red Bell Pepper
Parsley
Crawfish in Center


and make (thick) béchamel

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons AP flour
A pinch of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
Cook flour about four or five minutes at med/low heat. Add salt and pepper, 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir until thick and smooth.



The béchamel serves as a binder for the stuffing and needs to be thick.



In a mixing bowl, combine all of the stuffing ingredients, Pernod and Sherry. I seldom use salt or pepper in my stuffing.



With béchamel added:



Portion an equal amount of the stuffing onto the center of each breast, roll into a cylinder shape.



Dust the stuffed chicken rolls lightly in flour and sauté them until they are browned on all sides.





Place the stuffed chicken portions on pre-oiled baking pan and finish cooking by baking in preheated 375 degree F oven for 10-20 minutes.



drain on paper towels for 5 minutes after baking).

Slice and serve on top of Andouille Tarragon Cream.

One of these rolls makes two portions (serves two)

Andouille Tarragon Cream Sauce

You will need:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dry tarragon
1 Tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 ounce white wine
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons andouille sausage, (removed from casing and crumbled)
Salt and pepper to taste

Andouille Tarragon sauce:

Sauté shallots garlic and andouille in butter.



Add tarragon and deglaze the pan with white wine.
Add heavy whipping cream and reduce by one half.
Season to taste using salt and pepper.



Serve on plate under the Chicken and lightly over the top of the dish.



Fork Views:





Wonderful unique dish. Crawfish, Crab, Béchamel, Andouille, herbs - how could it not be good? The stuffing alone is worth all of the trouble this dish is to prep.

Difficulty rating of maybe 7 or 8, but worth it.


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