Chicken Bundles With Veloute Sauce

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Thursday evening I was one lucky girl…………..I was enrolled in a cooking class at Orson Gygi!

Here’s the Agenda:
-Demonstration of Stocks, step-by-step in conjunction with lecture
-Lecture “Soups”
-Demonstration of sweating vegetables and making soups
-Lecture “Thickening agents”
-Making Roux
-Lecture “Mother Sauces”
-Demonstration of Veloute, Bechamel, Hollandaise, Tomato
-Making Bechamel and Hollandaise
-Lecture “Compound/Small Sauces”
-Making Tomato and Alfredo
-Recap
-Dinner “Soup, Salad and Pasta and your choice of sauce. "

So today I put my new found knowledge to work!  I made “Chicken Bundles with Veloute Sauce” It was délicieux….delicious French style.  I know there are a million and “2” recipes on the internet, but I post here for my own benefit….I want to have a history of all the good things in life!

12 – 15 chicken tenders (pound thin so they are even)

1/2 c. bulk pork sausage

1/2 chopped onion

2 stalks chopped celery

1 cup herb seasoned croutons

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup herb-seasoned croutons  crushed to fine crumbs

Veloute Sauce:

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1/3 cup milk or more!

Pound each chicken piece to 1/4 inch thickness, set aside.  Brown sausage in large fry pan over medium heat.  Remove sausage.  Set aside.  Reserve 2 tablespoons fat.  Cook onion and celery in reserved fat until tender.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sausage and croutons.  Add water, tossing lightly until croutons are moistened.  Portion tightly packed mounds on to each chicken piece, tucking edges under stuffing to form bundle. 
Brush chicken with melted butter.  Sprinkle evenly with crushed croutons.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown, tender and temperature of 170.  Serve with Veloute Sauce.

Veloute Sauce:   Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium to low heat.  Stir in flour and salt.  Gradually stir in chicken broth bringing to a boil.   Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn down the heat and slowly stir in milk.   Continue to cook while stirring constantly for 20 minutes adding milk as needed to get to a smooth consistency.

There was not a bundle left….next time I think I will try making this with chicken breasts.  Of course, the tenders cook quickly making this a quick dinner!