Chicken with a Garlic and Herb Crust

This was a recipe adapted from one I had come across in the Internet (yet again - how did I live for 15 years without Internet before???). The real reason that I was so interested in it was because in one of my fantasy books, they talk about this meal they had, where the meat (I forget what it was, probably lamb) had a herb and garlic crust. That sounded really nice, so when I came across this recipe, I was really eager to see how it was like. The original recipe was actually for leg of lamb, but in addition to modifying the recipe a little bit, I also substituted with chicken, heh. But I didn't tell Hadi and Justin, because I *know* they would be all "This would have tasted MUCH better if you used lamb." So don't tell them. :P

On a side note, the book I got this from is one in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George RR Martin. I cannot *believe* how good they are! These are the first books that actually make me cry out in surprise, because things happen SO suddenly and SO quickly! People are betraying each other every time they turn, the characters can be quite foul-mouthed and there is barely any magic (yet, but its slowly building up!), but in spite of this (or maybe because of it, heh :P) the books are just amazing. A recommended read. But the next (and last, I think) book of the series isn't coming till eht end of the year! Phoo~ But read it anyway :D

But anyway, back to the food~!

What you need:
6 boneless skinless pieces of chicken (I used drumsticks. If you plan on using breasts, read below)
3 teaspoons mustard

Filling:
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
Pinch of salt
White pepper, for seasoning

Crust:
5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely (into SMALL pieces)
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon black pepper

What you do:

1. With a mortar and pestle (or a food processor if you prefer), crush the garlic for the filling until it forms a paste. Mix in the rest of the filling ingredients and set aside.
2. Mix all the crust ingredients together and set aside.
   
3. Place one piece of chicken (smooth side down) and spread 1/3 of the filling over it. Place another piece of chicken (smooth side up this time) over it, to form a sandwich of sorts.
4. Spread 1/2 a teaspoon of the mustard over the top of the "sandwich", and press about a tablespoon of the crust onto it, so that it forms an even coating.
5. Carefully flip it over and repeat the coating with another 1/2 teaspoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of crust.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the other 4 pieces of chicken.
7. Bake in a 180 C oven for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

If you want to use chicken breasts, just use 3 pieces, since they're usually quite big and thick. Either cut to form two thinner halves, or cut to form a pocket in it, in which you can add the filling.

Anyway, the original recipe said that the crust should be all crispy, but sadly, mine wasn't very crunchy. Could've been my fault though, maybe the breadcrumbs were....wrong? Not sure how they can be wrong though, heh. Or it could be that I didn't bake them long enough. I used thin pieces of chicken, while the recipe wanted a whole leg of lamb. Huge difference in sizes - and hence cooking time.

Justin really liked the garlic filling. Hadi was ambivalent about it. But I couldn't take it. Too much garlic for me, and WAY too strong, but that's again my fault. I hardly ever use fresh garlic, so I tend to forget just how strong they taste compared to garlic powder. So, depending on how strong you like your food, keep in mind the amount of garlic you use, heh.

Other than that, I liked the Parmesan taste. It wasn't very strong, but was enough to lend a bite to the chicken, hehe. It probably could've used a bit more salt (or maybe chicken stock) and pepper though. Maybe marinate the chicken pieces for a bit in salt and pepper. Although, since the garlic drowned out almost everything else, I couldn't really tell whether it needed more salt or not, heh. I *might* try this again, with more salt and pepper, and less garlic, and maybe bake it at a higher heat, just to try and get that crispy outing. Other than that, it was a more than acceptable dinner, although I am quickly getting tired of garlic, hehe.

Also, I want the next book in the series already. Sigh.

Quote of the day: Shallots are for babies; Onions are for men; garlic is for heroes.