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A company worthy dinner of moist boneless chicken breasts wrapped around a wild rice and brandied fruit combination and topped with with an orange sauce. The chicken can be prepared up to the point of baking a day ahead of time and refrigerated, leaving only the orange sauce to cook right before baking the next day.
2 TBSP apple juice or apple cider
2 TBSP brandy
1/8 tsp EACH allspice, cinnamon and cloves
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (dried apricots and golden raisins work well)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 TBSP butter, divided
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp EACH salt and pepper
1 cup cooked wild rice
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
6 TBSP sliced almonds, lightly toasted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated orange peel
1 1/4 cups orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix together the apple juice, brandy, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and dried fruit. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Drain, reserving liquid.
In a small skillet, melt 1 TBSP butter, add onions and sauté until translucent. Remove from heat, add the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring well, then add the wild rice and dried fruit. Combine evenly.
On a cutting board covered in waxed paper or parchment paper, lay each flattened chicken breast out and fill each breast with a quarter of the fruit and rice mixture, leaving about 1/2 inch border all around the breasts. Roll up each stuffed breast, tucking in the sides and any escaping rice mixture and place, seam side down, in a casserole dish large enough to hold all of the chicken without crowding them. (Leave about an inch between them)
At this point, you can cover the chicken and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
In a small saucepan, melt the the remaining 2 TBSP butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, orange zest and stir well. Add the orange juice and the liquid from the dried fruit. Cook and stir until thickened and slightly bubbly. Don't let it boil. Remove from heat.
Pour half of the orange sauce over the chicken breasts, reserving the rest.
Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 35 minutes. The internal temperature of the cooked chicken should be 165 degrees.
Rewarm the remainder of the orange sauce, if needed, and drizzle each breast with about 2 TBSP. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and parsley.
Serve hot.
