“When Andi and I are developing dish ideas for new menus, we try them out at our house before we present them to Chef for approval. To make sure we can execute it at the restaurant, we take the core concept of a new dish and adjust it as necessary. Often the dish is just too complex to effectively prepare for over two hundred guests in a night; however the creative process is a great way to keep things exciting in our own home kitchen.
This recipe is delicious and fun to make at home, but just not a dish we could see in a future menu for the restaurant. Arugula and goat cheese are delicious together; to stuff them inside chicken thighs makes a dish that looks like something from a Parisian café. With the addition of nouvelles pommes de terre violettes (new purple potatoes) and pois mange-tout (snap peas), you will be wanting to reach for a glass of Bordeaux while sitting on your terrace.
Eagle eyed readers may notice that anytime we slice, portion, or prepare any type of raw meat we use a plastic cutting board. This is for sanitary reasons. I love our wood cutting board; however, as a porous material, wood is not the best when bacteria is involved. Plastic cutting boards are versatile tools and very easy to clean with little risk of bad microbes sticking around.” – Joe
Ingredients
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6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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1 cup packed arugula
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4 ounces goat cheese
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2 spring onions – bulb cut in half, green and white separated and sliced
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5 new purple potatoes – sliced
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8 ounces snap peas – tipped, tailed, and cut in half
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12 toothpicks
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Lay the chicken thighs skinless side down, on a plastic cutting board and season with salt, pepper, and any poultry seasoning you like.
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Evenly distribute the arugula and goat cheese between all the thighs.
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Roll the thighs burrito style and skewer with the toothpicks.
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In a large skillet on medium high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil.
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Once the oil is hot, add the thighs to the pan skinless side down first and sear for four to five minutes.
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Flip the thighs and place the pan in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes for until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In a medium sized skillet, add two tablespoons of olive oil and set to medium high heat.
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Once hot add the sliced potatoes and sliced spring onion bulb.
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Continue to roast for about five minutes or until the potatoes start to turn golden brown. Place the pan in the oven and cook for another eight minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
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Once cooked add the sliced whites of the spring onions and season with salt and pepper.
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In a third medium sized skillet, place on medium heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the snap peas and sauté for five minutes, stirring regularly.
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Once cooked the onions will still have a small amount of ‘crunch’ to them. If the peas start to caramelize add splash of water.
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Add the greens of the spring onion and season with salt and pepper.
- To plate the dish: place a spoonful of snap peas on the bottom of the plate, stack the roasted new potatoes on top of the peas, and place two halves of the roasted spring onion on either side of the peas. Place the chicken thighs on top of the potatoes.