It sounds better in French, don’t you think?

I think you’ll like this recipe. It’s like a foil dinner you make when you’re camping, only you don’t have to fuss with forgetting the salt, or uncooked hamburger meat, or the know-it-all camper that tells everybody how to make the fire.

My problem whenever I make those things is I think I’m gonna go all gourmet. I use steak instead of hamburger, slice the potatoes extra thin for even cooking. Kosher salt! Cracked pepper! Perfect seasonings!

You know what always happens?  Mine taste crappy.  And the ones made by the family in the next tent, that cheated and used a Lipton onion soup packet, come out perfect!  Lesson learned: Don’t be a food snob in the wilderness.

This chicken en papillote is much, much better than all of that.

I used tarragon and shallots to echo the flavors in a béarnaise sauce (You’ll see why in tomorrow’s post!), and I think it worked well, though you could use any flavors or vegetables you want. See what you can do with the flavors, and then post your comments of your discoveries!

poulet en papillote

1 pound of chicken breast, about 3
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh tarragon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees celsius). Place a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place chicken on the center of the paper, and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with shallots and arrange the thyme and tarragon on top.

2. Fold one side of the paper over the top of the chicken and roll up the edges of the paper to create a pouch. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is done.

8 Responses to “poulet en papillote, or chicken in parchment paper”

1. Tartelette says:

   12 May 2009 at 11:38 pm

   Not only did they turn out perfectly but you used an herb very dear to us Frenchies, tarragon!! They look perfect!
2. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

   13 May 2009 at 4:42 am

   Gorgeous photos! I agree everything sounds better in French too. Nice choice of herbs
3. Brooke says:

   13 May 2009 at 5:41 am

   Teehee. Sophistimom said ‘crappy’. And, I am not joking when I say I got to that line and laughed a great laugh. Isn’t it true? The great camping cheats–Lipton Soup & Dinty Moore Beef stew always do taste so much better that fancy cooking when you’re out in the wide wilderness. Funny how that works.

   I want to try this with candied lemons, rosemary & oodles of sea sal & fresh-cracked pepper. Once covered, I’ll wrap my little empanada-shaped wrapper over it all and smile because this Sophistimom recipe (just like all your others) most definitely has a certain, special je nai se quoi. Oui oui.
4. Jenn@slim-shoppin says:

   13 May 2009 at 2:36 pm

   I love making things like that so you can put it in the oven and then go read a magazine and the works all done!

   I will definitely try this one!
5. tarragon chicken salad with béarnaise dressing | sophistimom says:

   13 May 2009 at 8:13 pm

   [...] « poulet en papillote, or chicken in parchment paper [...]
6. Jen T says:

   14 May 2009 at 7:55 pm

   We love foil dinners at our house. We live in the country and have a fire pit, so we can do them in the backyard, and I can relate to the cheater ingredients This looks amazing! Do you think it would work with thinly sliced potatoes too? We can never eat enough potatoes at our house. Thanks for sharing!
7. s'mores cupcakes | sophistimom says:

   13 August 2009 at 7:23 am

   [...] now that you know how I feel about foil dinners, I suppose I should continue in my camping cuisine vein, and tell you how I feel about [...]
8. luciouslevine says:

   8 January 2010 at 7:45 am

   french is coool