Ginger Chicken en Papillote is cooked in a parchment paper pouch so the breasts come out moist and flavourful! You will want to make them again and again!
You can use foil if you don't have parchment paper. In French cuisine they call this 'en papillote' and in Italian it is 'al cartoccio'. It just means to cook it in a pouch which sort of steams the chicken and locks in all the flavours it is cooked with.
These breasts are so full of flavour with all the Asian elements -rice wine, oyster sauce, fresh ginger.
I think I got the recipe from an Eating Well magazine years ago when they were hardcopy. There is a website EatingWell but I am not sure if it is the same magazine. In any case I could not find this exact recipe on line anywhere.
Sides
I have always served it with this delicious Cinnamon Fried Rice. This rice dish is also very aromatic with a nod toward Indian cuisine. They go together very well so I call it fusion cooking!
Add a simpel stir fry on the side and you have a meal!
One thing to watch for in the Ginger Chicken en Papillote recipe is that the fresh ginger root should be finely julienned. If it is too coarse it will be tough and quite hot.
Be sure to wrap the chicken so the pouch is sealed. There should be no gaps that would allow the steam or juices to escape. My package below has the long side not tucked under. It was sealed because it was the 2nd layer of parchment overlapping the top. But - I was careful with the others to have that long edge on the underside of the breast packet.
The directions often say to allow each diner to open their pouch at the table. I find this messy. There can be liquid that accumulates in the pouch. It serves as a pan juice but it may not be the quantity you want on your plate. Then you have the paper waste to deal with.
So - I am not going for that. I open the pouches and transfer the meat to a serving dish along with the juices. Then people can determine how much 'jus' they want on their plate and there is no unsightly paper or foil to deal with at the table.
Believe me... I thought for a long time how I could make this look fun and attractive.. tie with ribbon? Origami pouch? But I kept coming back to the 2 issues of juice and waste. So.. I had to dispense with the diner surprise concept.
Besides - this dish is so delicious it doesn't need any amping up presentation-wise.
Wine Pairing
A spicy Asian dish goes well with a Gewurztraminer or Gruner Veltliner white wine because they are known for hints of spice as well.
For a red wine look for a low tannin wine such as a Barbera or Southern Rhone blend.
Ginger Chicken en Papillote
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 6 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tsps soy sauce
- ⅓ cup rice wine (Mirin) or sub 3 Tbsps white wine + 2 Tbsps rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsps oyster sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon oil
- ¾ lb shitake mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice, chopped coarsely
- 2 bunches green onions white and light green parts shredded
- 6 inches fresh ginger root peeled and finely julienned
- 1-2 tsps sesame oil
- 6 squares parchment paper about 15" X 15"
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Coat chicken breasts with soy sauce. Let them rest while you prep the rest of the recipe.
- Peel the ginger root and cut into 6 one inch pieces. Julienne each piece into very fine lengths.
- Mix rice wine, oyster sauce, sugar, salt and pepper together in a cup.
- Heat oil in a sauce pan or wok. Add mushrooms and rice wine mixture. Saute until liquid has evaporated substantially - about 10 minutes. Add the green onions and cook another minute.
- Brush one half of the square of parchment paper with sesame oil, leaving an edge of a couple of inches. Position the chicken breast on the far edge of the oiled area.
- Top with ⅙ of the mushroom mixture and ⅙ of the ginger. Wrap the paper around the chicken breast on the long side of the breast. It should make one full round plus half a second round, so the edge ends up on the underside of the breast. Carefully crease the 2 ends of the paper closed and tuck under the breast. Be sure the wrapped chicken has no openings or it will not cook properly.
- Repeat with the remaining breasts.
- Place packets on a sheet pan. Do not crowd the packets. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes.
- When chicken is done, transfer breasts and toppings to a serving platter. (See Note 1)
Judy Ranta
Excellent recipe! Great flavours.
thewineloverskitchen
Glad you liked it- new recipe club?