PAPER-BAKED SZECHUAN CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

It's another fabulous, easy clean-up recipe using the en papillote method--this time with chicken. Did you know chicken loves steam-cooking in parchment? I gave this an Asian-ish twist to quell a craving for takeout, and you'll love the results. The glaze is spicy, savory, and sweet and keeps the chicken moist and the broccoli tender-crisp. While your chicken cooks, make some fluffy rice or soba noodles, and dinner is done.

Notes: Soy sauce is low-sodium.

PAPER-BAKED SZECHUAN CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts (1/2 inch thick), 1 head of broccoli, sea salt and pepper, sesame seeds (optional).

For the Szechuan glaze: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, 1 tbsp. Sriracha, 1/2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. minced ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger), 1/2 tsp. chili flakes (optional).

Serves 4.

1. Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 400* F. Tear four large pieces of parchment paper and set aside. Make sure your chicken breasts are no more than 1/2 inch thick (pounding them with a rolling pin or wine bottle is a great trick) so they cook evenly and within 20 minutes--longer than that and the broccoli gets overdone. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides well. Cut the broccoli into small florets, then slice them vertically so they lay flatter. This isn't essential, but helps the chicken to lie flat.

2. Make the Szechuan glaze: Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and Sriracha to a bowl. Whisk like mad. Whisk in the 5-spice powder, garlic powder, ginger, and chili flakes if using.

3. Build packets: Lay a piece of parchment down. Make a bed of broccoli slightly off-center on the paper (so that when the paper is folded over, both ends will meet. Brush one side of the chicken breast with the glaze. You can be liberal about it. See glaze tips* below. Put the breast sauce-side down on the broccoli, then glaze the top of it. Fold the paper over, and pinch all the way around to form a sealed pocket. Place on the baking sheet and follow with the rest.

4. Bake: Bake for 20 minutes at 400*F. If your chicken is 1/2 inch in thickness, this is the correct amount of time for cooked through, but moist. You can certainly cook longer if you like it that way. It's your chicken. Remove and serve immediately over rice or soba noodles.

TIPS

Glaze: If the glaze seems too thin, prior to using it, you can warm it for a minute or so over low heat in a saucepan so that the cornstarch thickens the consistency. Watch closely, though, stirring all the while; you want the thickness to be like BBQ sauce, not jelly.

Parchment paper: You know I like my chemical-free brand; click here to check it out. (It is an affiliate link, which changes nothing for you but kicks me back a few cents per sale as a thank-you for promoting the product.)

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