 A
crisp, fruity Riesling fits this dish best. |
Chicken With Corn, Leeks & Olives
Rieslings show particularly well with dishes that mix some earthy flavors, including mushrooms, goat cheese or onions, with naturally sweet flavors, such as fresh corn, oranges and apples. This dish bakes boned chicken breasts with corn. Leeks and olives add an earthy note, and because a Riesling always seems to like some spice, a touch of cumin contributes its tang. The food lets the wine keep its crisp acidity but brings out an apricot flavor.
Chicken With Corn, Leeks & Olives
• 6 boned chicken breast halves, about 7 to 8 ounces
each
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 ears fresh corn (or 2 cups kernels)
• 2 leeks, white and pale green portions only, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 mild green chili pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
• Bean Puree (recipe follows)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange them
in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer (if you don't
have a pan of sufficient size, use two pans). Preheat the oven to 325
°F. Scrape the corn into a bowl. Mix it with the leeks, olives, chili
pepper, parsley and cumin. Scatter this mixture over the chicken and season
lightly with salt and pepper. Add the broth, cover the pan and put it
in the oven to bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked
through.
Remove the chicken breasts to a serving plate. Reserve about 1 cup of the vegetables and puree the remaining contents of the baking pan in a food processor or blender, along with the cream. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary, and stir in the reserved vegetables.
Use wide soup plates. Put one chicken breast on each plate and spoon the vegetable blend over each. Top with a generous dollop of Bean Puree and a few avocado slices.
Serves 6.
Bean Puree
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans or white beans
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup dry white wine or Riesling
• Milk or cream (if necessary)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
Rinse the beans and let them drain thoroughly. Put them in a food processor with the parsley leaves.
In a small skillet, cook the garlic in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, until it starts to brown lightly. Add the wine and boil for about 10 minutes, until the wine reduces to about 2 tablespoons. Add the contents of the pan to the food processor.
Puree the beans to the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes, adding milk or cream as necessary to achieve that consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.