Chenin Blanc, Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Candied Glazed Carrots

It’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day and yet the unseasonably warm temperatures occurring in Western Pennsylvania is making me think of spring! What is better than a wine adventure with a Chenin Blanc from South Africa on a day like today? I suppose my wine choice is appropriate since technically it’s the beginning of summer in South Africa this time of year. Hence, the reason why I decided to open a bottle of Delaire Graff 2017 Chenin Blanc from Swartland, South Africa and pair it with stuffed chicken breasts, candied glazed carrots and green beans.

Chenin Blanc is a nice alternative to Chardonnay. Like Chardonnay, this varietal is versatile in that it is used to make several types and styles of wine. Chenin Blanc can be oaked, unoaked, off-dry, dry and used to make still and sparkling wine. South Africa is the largest producer of Chenin Blanc, followed by France.

Today’s wine choice, Delaire Graff 2017 Chenin Blanc, is an oaked Chenin Blanc from the Swartland region of South Africa. The winemaker’s notes describe the wine as having layered expressions of citrus and tropical fruit with subtle layers of honey and almonds in the background. I describe the wine as having very intense aromas. (Note to self! If smelling the wine burns my nose, maybe I should consider not sticking my nose deep into the glass when smelling it!) My take on the wine – the aromas remind me of very ripe, bruised apples and citrus. First sip – I find the wine very acidic, crisp and refreshing. I didn’t taste any flavors with “oak” characteristics, which I assumed it would have hints of vanilla, honey or spice since the winemaker notes describe the wine as spending 10 months in French barrels.

I started researching recipes for the perfect pairing. There is more to pairing food and wine than simply pairing red wine with steak and pairing white wine with chicken. Depending on how the white wine is made – it could pair with grilled chicken or with chicken in a creamy sauce. According to Google – Chenin Blanc pairs nicely with Zucchini Soufflé with Baked Goat Cheese and Pancetta Cream or Chicken Liver Parfait with Homemade Apple Chutney and Toasted Brioche. I have no idea what any of those are, so I settled for pairing the wine with chicken breasts stuffed with Stove Top stuffing, gravy, candied glazed carrots and fresh green beans in garlic butter. I didn’t have all the ingredients needed so I improvised on the recipes a bit and made up the name “candied glazed carrots”. I found a few “cheats” to make the meal preparation a little less complicated.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts:

There are so many good stuffed chicken recipes out there. I thought about chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese, or chicken stuffed with a spinach mixture. However, my family is not always adventurous so decided to stick with the safe option of traditional bread stuffing.

1. Slice boneless chicken breasts longways down the middle but not completely in half

2. Season both sides of chicken with chicken bouillon, sage, thyme, rosemary and pepper

3. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil in a glass baking pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle chicken bouillon, sage, thyme, rosemary and pepper into oil

4. Prepare Stove Top Stuffing (for 4 chicken breasts – prepare 2 servings)

5. Place Stove Top Stuffing into each chicken breast and fold over – use a toothpick to hold together

6. Cover with foil and bake in over for 30 minutes on 350 degrees (cooking in foil keeps the chicken moist)

7. Uncover chicken and back an additional 15 minutes on 350 degree (not sure what this does but it seemed like a good idea at the time)

8. Top with gravy before serving (You can make your own gravy, but I heated up Heinz chicken gravy that comes in a jar)

Candied Glazed Carrots:

I found a recipe for Cinnamon-Butter Baked Carrots that sounded amazing! Since I didn’t have all the ingredients, I improvised and created Candied Glazed Carrots instead. (no patent pending)

1. Clean 15 carrots by peeling and removing stems

2. Arrange carrots in a glass baking dish

3. In a separate bowl mix 1/3 cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ cup honey and then slowly add 1/3 cup of boiling water

4. Pour mixture over carrots, cover with foil and bake in oven for 90 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fresh Green Beans in Garlic Butter:

I wasn’t sure how the Candied Glazed Carrots would turn out, so I also made green beans as a back up plan. Besides corn, this is my “go to” vegetable that most of my family will eat.

1. Trim stems off fresh green beans

2. Steam green beans

3. Mix green beans in frying pan with butter, garlic, salt and pepper

My Chenin Blanc wine adventure was a success. My family loved the food and I loved the wine. I hope you all have enjoyed reading about my Chenin Blanc wine adventure.

Cheers!

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