Today, March 24, is the birthday of my brother, Tony. The only son in the family, it seemed quite unique that his birthday came in the middle of the same week as my parents birthdays.
The chicken thigh Wellington with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes is a modern, Mediterranean-inspired twist on the classic Beef Wellington, evolving from a formal 19th-century British dish into a more accessible, flavorful home-cooked meal.
While early chicken Wellingtons used breast, the shift to chicken thighs (as in this specific version) is a modern culinary move aimed at maximizing flavor and moisture. Thighs are more forgiving, ensuring a juicier filling than often-dry chicken breasts, particularly when baked in pastry.
Mushrooms are a foundational element of a Wellington, adding savory ‘meatiness’ to the chicken. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes highlights the ‘Mediterranean’ evolution of the dish. While drying tomatoes to preserve them is an ancient Greek and Italian practice, using sun-dried tomatoes in cream-based chicken dishes gained immense popularity in the late 1980s and 1990s as Italian-North American cuisine expanded.
The intense acidity and sweetness of sun-dried tomatoes cuts through the richness of the pastry and the earthy, savory, buttery mushrooms. Using Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs in a Wellington acts as a shortcut for a decadent sauce. Instead of making a separate cream sauce, the cheese provides a pre-seasoned, creamy binder that melts inside the pastry.
Today, this specific recipe is widely popular as a full-size Wellington or as individual pastry parcels, combing the luxury of a Wellington with the bold ‘shortcut’ flavors of Boursin and sun-dried tomatoes.
Brion & I really enjoyed this meal, it was so flavorful as well as nice and moist.
‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONY’! Enjoy your day as we celebrate you with love.
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SERVINGS
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- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 150 gm Boursin garlic & herb cheese
- 2 Tbsp dry bread crumbs OR panko breadcrumbs
- 454 gm mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 375 gm boneless/skinless chicken thighs, sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 400 gm puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
Ingredients
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- In a saucepan, sauté shallots & garlic in 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat for 3 minutes or until softened. Place mixture in a bowl; add cheese & breadcrumbs. Stir until well coated; set aside.
- Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat in same saucepan & cook mushrooms & herbs de Provence for 5 minutes or until liquid starts to appear in saucepan. Add chicken thighs & cook, stirring for about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Season with salt & pepper & add sun-dried tomatoes; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- On a floured surface, roll out pastry to a 16 x 12-inch rectangle; Place on a large piece of parchment paper. Spread mushroom mixture in center of pastry leaving about 4-inches on long sides & 2-inches on short sides. Top with chicken mixture. Brush edges with egg & fold up short sides. Top with chicken mixture. Brush edges with egg & fold up short sides over filling, then overlap 1 long side over filling & lift remaining pastry to reach pastry on top, overlapping slightly & pinch seam to seal. Brush all over with egg wash & let stand for 5 minutes to dry slightly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown & puffed. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.


