2 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless halved into 4 pieces
use very generously salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 pound mushrooms crimini halved then sliced
1 tsp rosemary dried
1 package puff pastry dough refrigerated
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
For the gravy:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp white wine
use very generously salt and pepper
To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cook the bacon in a skillet until just crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain - chop into pieces when cooled. Remove most of the grease from the skillet, leaving about 1 tbsp. Flatten the chicken pieces into even thickness and generously salt and pepper both sides. Reheat the skillet with the grease in it, and cook the chicken until browned - about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add the butter to the skillet, and cook the onions, garlic and mushrooms - scraping up any brown bits - until the onions have softened and the mushrooms have lost most of their size and liquid. Stir in the bacon pieces and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cook on high heat for another minute or two, then remove from heat and set aside. Cut the pastry dough into 4 equal squares, about 7" x 7". you can roll the dough out on a floured surface if it's too small. Mix the cream cheese and mustard together in a small bowl and set aside. Place ¼ of the mushroom mixture in the center of each pastry square, then spoon ¼ of the cream cheese mixture on top. Place a chicken breast on top, wrap the pastry around the it and seal the edges tightly. you can run your finger with a little water on it around the edges to help it seal. Place the wrapped chicken seam side down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, brush generously with the egg wash, and bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and browned. To make the gravy:[/b] Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Whisk until the flour darkens and begins to thicken, whisk in the broth and wine. Season with salt and pepper, and continue to stir well until it boils. Allow it to boil for about 2 minutes, stirring very often, until the gravy thickens. Recipe Notes: Don't cut the chicken breasts too thin, or they will become too dry during baking. Around 3 inches thickness is ideal. Use any spare leftover puff pastry to create fun designs on top of each wellington. If you don't feel confident making 4 mini wellingtons, you can make 1 big one or 2 medium ones. Sprinkle some seeds on top for added flavor. I sometimes use sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds to give the pastry a hint of flavor.