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Puff pasty is divine. What puff pastry dish doesn't taste good? Whether sweet or savory, puff pastry is manna from heaven. Light, crispy, airy, delicate. It's exact origin is unknown. Some have attributed it to Claude Gelée, a French painter in the 17th century, who reportedly made it for his sick father. Forget the chicken noodle soup, right? Who wouldn't feel better after eating puff pastry?? But references to puff pastry date back even earlier to Middle Eastern-influenced phyllo dough, a close relative that is layered with olive oil instead of butter. Puff pastry is pricey, but understandably so. It's time-consuming to make and uses lots and lots of butter. Dough is rolled out, layered with butter, folded, rolled out again, layered with butter...this process is repeated a gazillion times. To give you an idea, depending on what you're making with it, Julia Child recommends anywhere from 73 to 730 layers! Ummm, thanks Julia, but no thanks. As much as I would like to spend hours rolling, buttering, folding, rolling, etc, to make my own puff pastry (NOT! I think I'd as soon impale myself on a rotisserie spit), I opt for store-bought. Party pooper, I know. But whether homemade or store-bought, the fact remains that puff pastry is the food of the gods. NOW, just when you thought puff pastry didn't get any better...enter the Morel Mushroom.

Prized by gourmet cooks, painstakingly hunted each season throughout various regions of the world, and enjoyed in fine cuisine for its incomparable flavor, morel mushrooms are a mushroom lover's dream. So here we have two specimens of culinary bliss: Puff Pastry and Morels. These two special edibles deserve to be united. After all, they are a match made in heaven. Well, I've put on my match-making chef's hat and have done exactly that. I've paired the two in a dish that will taunt, relax, excite, and delight your taste buds. Morels pair exceptionally well with chicken and the addition of sweet caramelized onions and creamy gorgonzola take it to an additional level.

Sautéed in butter, deglazed with white wine, seasoned with fresh parsley and then paired with caramelized onions and gorgonzola atop a tender, succulent breast of chicken wrapped in heaven's own puff pastry and baked to perfection. And then, to add an additional touch of palatial bliss, served with a delicate Parmesan cheese cream sauce. And there you have it. An elegant and delicious Chicken Wellington with Morels, Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola. Why should you make this dish? Say it with me: "Because I'm worth it."

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Let's get started!

If using fresh morels or cremini mushrooms, skip this step.

First we're going to reconstitute the dried morels. Place them in a bowl.

Pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 30 minutes.

While the morels are soaking, chop the onion.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the onions for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer the onions to a bowl.

While the onions are cooking, remove the morels from the liquid and squeeze thoroughly.

Chop the morels.

Melt the butter in the skillet and saute the morels for about 5-6 minutes.

Add the wine, parsley, and a pinch of salt, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a small plate, reserving two tablespoons for the cream sauce.

Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts.

Heat a little olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Combine the egg and water and whisk.

Roll the puff pastry out to about a 7 inch diameter square.

Gather the ingredients.

Place half of the gorgonzola in the center of the puff pastry.

Place half of the morels on top of the gorgonzola.

Place half of the onions on top of the morels.

Place a chicken breast on top of the onions.

Brush all four sides of puff pastry with the egg mixture.

Fold the corners of the puff pastry in toward the chicken.

Pinch the seams together.

Brush the whole side with the egg mixture.

Invert the wellington onto a baking sheet, seam side down. If you want, cut out a few decorative leaves or design of your choice with any remaining puff pastry, brushing underneath them with egg mixture to ensure that they adhere.

Brush the wellington with the egg mixture. Bake in the oven preheated at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the wellington is a rich golden brown.

While the wellington is baking, prepare the Parmesan cream sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in 1/2 tablespoon of flour until blended and smooth. Add the cream and whisk until combined and smooth, add the reserved morel/parsley mixture and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking regularly. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the Parmesan until smooth and creamy.

Remove your two beautiful masterpieces from the oven, cut each one in half, place them on four plates with your choice of steamed vegetables, and serve with a little sauce drizzled next to the wellington (do not pour it on top or the puff pastry will be soggy). Prepare to fall in love…deeply in love.

Chicken Wellington with Morels, Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Print : The Daring Gourmet, www.daringgourmet.com Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 oz dried morel mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped (see instructions below), or 5 oz fresh morels or cremini mushrooms

2 tablespoons fresh parsely, minced

¼ cup dry white wine

2 oz gorgonzola or blue cheese

2 sheets of puff pastry (rolled out to about 7 inch diameter squares)

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water

For the Parmesan Morel Cream Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

½ tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons reserved sauteed morels

¼ cup Parmesan cheese Instructions To reconstitute the dried morels, place the morels in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms and chop them. Pound each chicken breast to an even thickness. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, adding a pinch of salt, until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and add the chopped morels. Saute for about 5-6 minutes and then add the wine, parsley, and a pinch of salt, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a small plate, reserving two tablespoons for the cream sauce. Add a tablespoon of oil or butter to the skillet and once it's hot add the chicken breasts. Fry on both sides until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. Spoon half of the blue cheese mixture in the center of each sheet. Top with half of the caramelized onions, then half of the morels. Place the chicken breasts on top. Brush some of the egg mixture along each side of the puff pastry sheets. Carefully fold the corners of the puff pastry sheets up over the chicken and press to seal. Brush with the egg mixture. Place the each chicken wellington seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush all sides with the egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastries are a rich golden brown. For the Parmesan Morel Cream Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until blended and smooth. Add the heavy cream, whisking continually until smooth and thickened. Add the reserved morel mushroom mixture and simmer for two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the Parmesan cheese until dissolved. Cut each wellington in half and serve with the sauce. 3.2.1753