Mediterranean Chicken and Artichoke Parcels

A phyllo parcel packed with delicious Mediterranean Chicken flavours

📝 Ingredients

• 8 large plump chicken breasts, skin removed
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season
• 8 tender medium leeks, finely chopped
• 24 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• grape seed oil
• 2 aubergines (brinjals), sliced
• 250 g smoked chicken rashers, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 marinated artichokes, quartered (giving 2 quarters per person)
• 1/2 C (125 ml) snipped chives
• 1/2 C (125 ml) chopped fresh French tarragon
• 4 Tbsp (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
• about 1 C (250 ml) verjuice
• 1 packet (500 g) phyllo pastry
• melted butter for brushing

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Sear the chicken breasts to a golden brown in a griddle pan. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size portions. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. 2Fry the leeks and mushrooms in the grape seed oil, and then set aside.
3. 3Char-grill the aubergine slices, using no oil, in the griddle pan. Remove from the pan and chop into smaller pieces. Set aside.
4. 4Heat about 2 Tbsp (30 ml) grape seed oil in a saucepan. Add the cooked chicken, the chicken rashers, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, artichokes, aubergine and the herbs. Add the verjuice and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes to develop the medley of flavours. Add seasoning if needed. Set mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
5. 5Preheat the oven to 190 ºC.
6. 6Cut the phyllo pastry into 25 x 25 cm squares. Place one square at a time on the work surface and brush with melted butter. Place the next square on top at a slight angle, and brush with butter again. Do the same with a third layer. Place an eighth of the chicken mixture in the centre of the pastry square and bring the layers together to form a parcel. Repeat with the remainder of the phyllo and filling until you have eight parcels. Place the parcels on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and give them a final brush with melted butter.
7. 7Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy golden brown, and serve immediately with a green salad or a selection of vegetables.