CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH MUSHROOMS & PROVOLONE

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH MUSHROOMS & PROVOLONE image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 (6-oz) piece provolone
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1/4 cup chopped shallot (1 large)
1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (2 1/2 to 3 lb total)

Steps:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coarsely grate cheese and set aside in a medium bowl. Pulse mushrooms and shallot in a food processor with thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, add garlic, then sauté mushroom mixture, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir into cheese (some cheese will melt). Place remaining butter in saute pan to melt (no heat). Pat chicken dry. Place one sixth of cheese mixture (some filling will be visible) on half of each breast and fold over. Put chicken in baking pan and brush remaining butter over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until cooked through and cheese is melted (filling will ooze), 20 to 25 minutes.