Sautéed Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Persian Rice

Assemble these supplies:


The stuffing:

• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons Madeira
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 6 strips orange peel, finely julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 yolk from large egg
• The chicken:
• 2 whole unskinned boneless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Orange butter sauce

Steps in preparation:

1. Soak raisins in Madeira in bowl.
2. Bring rice, water, and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a boil in heavy saucepan. 
3. Stir, scraping pan so rice does not stick.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes, or until rice is just tender.
5. Stir once during this time, scrap­ing sides of saucepan.
6. Add 2 tablespoons additional water if rice is too hard.
7. Remove from heat and set aside.
8. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in medium-size skillet.
9. Add chopped pecans and toss until lightly browned.
10. Add minced shallots and sauté until barely soft but not brown.
11. Add raisins with Madeira and orange peel and stir to mix well.
12. Remove from heat and add mixture to rice.
13. Stir well. Season to taste with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cool.
14. When mixture is cool, stir in egg yolk. Set aside, covered.
15. With knife, trim and discard fat, sinew, and cartilage from chicken breasts, keeping skin intact.
16. To form pockets for stuffing, gently separate skin from flesh with your fingers where breastbone was, keeping skin and flesh intact around remaining edges.
17. If neces­sary, use knife to cut out tissue where skin and meat are attached along center of each breast.
18. Do not split breasts.
19. Fill pockets with rice stuffing.
20. Smooth skin over rice so it is completely covered, and pull skin down around filling, tucking edges under flesh of breast.
21. Use metal skewers, if necessary, to keep skin attached.
22. Melt butter in large skillet and add oil.
23. Add breasts, stuffed side up, and sear over high heat 2 minutes.
24. Turn and sear 2 more minutes.
25. Holding each breast between 2 spatulas, tilt, and sear any raw edges.
26. Over moderate heat, sauté breasts, stuffed side up, 10 to 12 minutes.
27. Turn and cook 5 minutes.
28. Remove chicken to platter.
29. Cut each breast in half and serve with orange butter sauce.

Orange Butter Sauce

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine
• 5 tablespoons frozen, salted butter
• 2 strips orange peel, finely julienned Salt and freshly ground white pepper 
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Combine shallots, orange juice, vinegar, and wine in nonaluminum saucepan. Reduce until about 2 teaspoons of liquid remain with shallots.Over very low heat, carefully whisk in frozen butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all is melted. The sauce should look opaque. Do not overheat or butter will separate. Remove from heat.
Stir in julienned orange peel and season to taste with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.