Best Cold Poached Chicken Breasts With Tuna Basil Sauce Recipes

MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL CHICKEN BREASTS TONNATO

Steps:

• Cut out core of iceberg lettuce with pointed knife; discard core. Hold cut part of lettuce under cold running water to separate leaves. Drain well on paper towels, in colander or salad spinner. Refrigerate, stored in plastic bag in crisper or plastic container with tight fitting lid.
• Wipe chicken breasts with damp paper towel. With sharp knife, split in half. In large 10-inch skillet, combine onion, celery stalk, carrot, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, the thyme, bay leaf, undiluted chicken broth, and water. Over medium heat bring to boiling; add the chicken.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until chicken is fork-tender. Remove skillet from heat; cool chicken breasts in broth 1 hour. Meanwhile make Tonnato Sauce: Drain anchovy fillets; with sharp kinfe, chop 2 fillets; reserve the rest for garnish.
• Drain tuna; discard liquid. In blender or food processor, combine chopped anchovies with tuna, mayonnaise, chopped celery, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Turn into 2-cup container with tight-fitting lid; refrigerate, covered. Makes about 2 cups.
• Remove cooled chicken breasts from broth; strain broth, and refrigerate, covered, to use another time. Remove and discard skin and bone from chicken breasts. With sharp knife, shred lettuce.
• To serve: Cover a large round serving platter with shredded lettuce. Place one whole tomato, cut into 8ths and reassembled, in the very center of the plate. Arrange the 8 breast halves on lettuce in a circle around this tomato. Spoon tonnato over each breast, covering it completely. Garnish each breast with a whole reserved anchovy fillet. Place tomato wedges between breasts Garnish with watercress.

COLD POACHED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE

Steps:

• Place grated cucumber in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 15-30 minutes.
• Rinse under cold water and squeeze dry.
• In a medium bowl, combine cucumber with remaining ingredients except chicken.
• Stir to mix well. Season with additional salt to taste.
• Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Serve over chicken.

COLD POACHED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH TUNA BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a kettle combine the chicken breasts with enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch and remove them. Bring the water to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste, and return the chicken to the kettle. Poach the chicken at a bare simmer for 18 minutes, remove the kettle from the heat, and let the chicken cool in the liquid for 30 minutes. Drain the chicken and let it stand until it is cool enough to be handled. Discard the skin and bones from the chicken, removing each breast half carefully from the bone in one piece, and chill the chicken, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• In a blender or food processor blend together the tuna, the mayonnaise, the yogurt, the anchovies, 1 tablespoon of the capers, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste until the sauce is smooth, transfer the sauce to an airtight container, and chill it for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Cut the chicken breasts diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices and transfer a breast to each of 6 dinner plates. Just before serving, stir the chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste into the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over each breast, garnish the chicken with the additional capers, the basil sprigs, and the lemon slices, and serve it with the olives.