Raspberry Chicken with Goat Cheese

Elegant and easy!

Inspiration

I stepped outside of my comfort zone with this recipe. It’s not that it’s difficult, it’s actually very easy and fast to prepare. Everyone I’ve shared it with raves about it. I developed this recipe for a contest. I have never entered a recipe contest before and felt intimidated. Anyone could enter, including professional chefs. A professional won the grand prize last year. I entered and did not even make the semi-finals. I am feeling kind of silly about the whole thing. (I can’t wait to try the winning recipe for this year!) If you try my recipe I would love to hear what you think!

Essentials

The combination of tangy goat cheese with the fragrant raspberry sauce really gives the chicken a marvelous boost of flavor. The addition of fresh herbs elevates the chicken to exceptional. And when plated, the chicken, raspberries and herbs are stunning. Easy, yet elegant. Fresh sage or rosemary work equally well in the recipe. Just don’t use too much, they could easily overpower the delicate raspberries. If you only have basil it can be used. Slice thinly (chiffonade) and add a sprinkle of basil as a garnish, since it will lose it’s flavor if you bake it with the chicken.

1. Preheat oven 350°
2. Lightly grease 9×12 baking dish with olive oil
3. Prepare boned chicken breasts for baking. With fingers, gently pull up skin from one side of chicken breast, making a cavity to stuff. Do not remove skin entirely, leave skin attached to breast meat on one side of the breast. Stuff each breast between skin and meat with approximately 2 oz of goat cheese, spreading cheese across the top of the entire breast. Top the cheese with a sprinkling of sliced sage or minced rosemary. Replace skin, covering the top of the meat and cheese. Lightly salt and pepper each breast and then rub or brush tops with olive oil.
4. Bake stuffed chicken breasts, in prepared baking dish, skin side up, for 30-35 minutes in 350° oven, until chicken is almost cooked. Raise oven temperature to 425°. Baste breasts with accumulated pan juices and cook another 5–7 minutes until skin is golden brown and chicken is cooked. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let rest 10 minutes prior to serving.
5. While breasts are baking prepare raspberry sauce. In a small bowl, using a fork, mix raspberry jam and balsamic vinegar until thoroughly combined and smooth. Stir in just a pinch of salt. Add 1-1/4 Cup fresh raspberries. Gently mash with fork until berries are partially crushed but are still visible in sauce.
6. Plate chicken by garnishing each half breast with a ladle of raspberry sauce, top with several of the remaining whole raspberries and a tiny sprinkle and of the herb of your choice. Add garnish with additional herbs, if available.