This is a fantastic recipe for entertaining. The salty, tanginess of the goat cheese compliments the sweetness of the chutney, and it’s creaminess is offset by the crunch of the panko.

As detailed in my previous fig post, I found myself with 2 lbs of fresh figs on my hands.  What does one do with 2 lbs of figs that all ripen at the same time? Make Fig Chutney!  I’ve never made a chutney before but when one of the main ingredients is Port Wine, how can you really go wrong?  This recipe is from the California Fresh Fig website.  The Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken that I served it with was my own creation.  I made the chutney a couple of days ahead of time, which saves work the day of the big meal.  That always makes me happy. 🙂

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups port wine
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 8 ounces light brown sugar
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh gingerroot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• Zest of 1/4 lemon
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/4 pounds fresh California figs; stems removed and cut in half lengthwise

I chose to cut my figs into 8 pieces.  I thought it would be easier to have them cut into smaller, more bite size pieces, which worked well when serving it with the chicken.

In large nonreactive saucepan, combine wine, vinegar, sugar, onion, gingerroot, mustard seeds, zest, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook until mixture is thickened and reduced by 2/3 to thick syrup. Add figs and cook gently until very soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a nonreactive storage container and cool to room temperature before serving.

Note: Chutney may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in refrigerator or hot chutney may be ladled into hot, sterilized canning jars. Seal and stored in cool, dry place.

Here is the final product.

Having never made chutney before, I wasn’t really sure what to do with it.  The onions, vinegar, and mustard seed slightly curb the sweetness of it, but between the figs and the ruby port, it does retain quite a bit of sweetness.  Pork or chicken seemed like the obvious pairing, but I wanted something salty to balance out the flavors.  We are big fans of goat cheese in our house so I settled on goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts.  The results were a hit with Andy, Trinity, AND my brother-in-law (who admited later he was initially skeptical of fruit with chicken.)

Goat Cheese Filling:

• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs:

• 1 1/2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix all ingredients together in a shallow dish.

For the Chicken Breasts:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pound 4 large chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.  Season with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 of the goat cheese mixture on each chicken breast.

Spread the goat cheese evenly, leaving 1/2 inch edge on all sides, and roll, laying the chicken seam-side down.  Beat two large eggs in a shallow dish.  Carefully coat each chicken roll in the egg mixture, then in the seasoned bread crumbs.  Lay seam side down on parchment paper.

Drizzle a 9×13 glass baking dish with 1 Tbsp olive oil and coat evenly.  Place in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until the oil is very hot.  Place chicken breasts seam side down in the baking dish and bake, uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 170 degrees F.  Please note, your baking time may vary depending on the size of chicken breasts you use. Serve with 1/4 cup Fig Chutney and enjoy!  If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!