Chicken Wellington

Chicken Wellington (serves 8) 

Sorry this picture is so junky, I had to take it with photo booth and a picture of a picture usually doesn't turn out great. Anyway, this is my favorite thing to make for company. I usually make it ahead of time. I have also made it with slices of portabello mushroom in place of the chicken (Willow) and liked the results.

8 medium chicken breast halves

6 T lemon juice

2 T butter

1 large onion finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 T snipped fresh cilantro

1/4 t pepper

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 T butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 c sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 c white wine

Preheat oven to 350 F. Rinse chicken breasts. Place chicken in baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cover and bake in oven 30-45 min or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Cool slightly. Increase oven temperature to 450 F. In large skillet, heat 2 T butter. Add onion and shallot and cook until tender. Stir in undiluted mushroom soup, cilantro and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 min. Remove from heat and cool completely. Meanwhile, on lightly floured suface, roll each sheet of thawed pastry to 12" square. Cut each pastry sheet into four 6" squares. Place on cooked chicken breast half in the center of each square. Spoon about 2 T soup mixture onto each piece of chicken. Brush edges of pastry with water. Wrap pastry around the chicken, pressing the edges neatly and firmly together. Place pastry wrapped chicken pieces, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake uncovered in 450 F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 425 F; bake about 10 minutes more or until pasty is golden brown. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the 2 T butter, add finely chopped shallot and cook for 2 min. Add wine and simmer uncovered 5 min. Top each serving with mushroom sauce.

* Can be frozen ahead of time w/o baking first or egg wash. Place on greased baking sheet, brush with egg yolk and bake in 375 oven for 25-30 minutes.