# Chicken Oscar - help with recipe



## mish (Mar 3, 2006)

*Oscar, Oscar, Oscar*

Help me turn this into an Award-winning recipe? (Couldn't help myself ) 

This recipe looks pretty good, but I would like some ideas on how to make it better. i.e. Would like to use fresh asparagus, any ideas for a better sauce with wine perhaps (rather than soup), incorporate fresh garlic, and pardon a silly question - but what is seasoned salt? TIA

Chicken Oscar 

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds total) 
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt 
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 
Dash ground red pepper (optional) 
1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen asparagus spears, thawed and chopped - Prefer fresh
1/2 of a 5-1/2- to 6-1/2-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 
Seasoned salt 
Garlic powder - Prefer fresh garlic
1 6-1/4- to 6-3/4-ounce package long-grain-and-wild-rice mix 
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup - Better sauce idea?
3/4 cup milk 

Place each chicken breast half, boned side up, between 2 pieces of clear plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to form a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap; set chicken aside. 

In a mixer bowl, beat together until light and fluffy the cream cheese, the 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, the 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and the red pepper, if you like. Gently fold in the chopped asparagus and the crabmeat. 

Divide the filling evenly among the chicken breasts, placing it in the center of each breast. Fold in the bottom and sides of each breast. Roll up breasts, jelly-roll style, and secure them with wooden toothpicks. Place the rolls in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. 

Pour melted butter over chicken. Sprinkle with additional seasoned salt and garlic powder. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. 

Meanwhile, cook rice mix according to package directions. In a small saucepan, combine the condensed soup, and the milk; heat through. Serve the baked chicken over the rice mixture. Spoon soup mixture over all.


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## marmalady (Mar 3, 2006)

Fresh asparagus, steamed lightly, would be good, especially if you can find those little pencil-thin spears.

Here's a 'lite' lemon sauce that I think would work:

Lite Lemon Sauce: 

1 tbsp butter 
1 tbsp flour 
dash salt 
dash white pepper 
1/2 cup skim milk 
1/2 cup lemon juice 
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel 

Melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and lemon peel... makes 1 cup.

Edited to add - why not try a boursin cheese or other herby-cheese spread instead of just plain cream cheese?


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## mish (Mar 3, 2006)

marmalady said:
			
		

> Fresh asparagus, steamed lightly, would be good, especially if you can find those little pencil-thin spears.
> 
> Here's a 'lite' lemon sauce that I think would work:
> 
> ...


 
Perfect! Thank you! Shall I steam the asparagus prior to rollng it up in the chicken? You read my mind re the pencil-thin asparagus.  Could I roll the raw asparagus up inside, and have the edges stick out?  I think it would be a nicer presentation? TIA


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## Andy M. (Mar 3, 2006)

Fresh asparagus
Real Garlic
White Sauce in place of canned soup.

The cream of chicken soup is just a chicken flavored white sauce. That's easy enough to make.

Seasoned salt is salt with added flavors such as garlic, onion, etc.


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## marmalady (Mar 3, 2006)

Mish, I'd steam 'em a little first; and they'd look pretty sticking out on the ends!


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## mish (Mar 3, 2006)

marmalady said:
			
		

> Mish, I'd steam 'em a little first; and they'd look pretty sticking out on the ends!


 
Thank you Marm. Have to have the asparagus peeking out. It's a pretty simple, probably good recipe, as it stands. I prefer not to used canned ingredients in a recipe like this.


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## jennyema (Mar 3, 2006)

RE, the stuffing. I bet it will need more salt, so make sure you taste it befoere you use it. I'd also add some chopped scallion or chives or shallots, ground black pepper and a dash of hot sauce instead of the ground red pepper.

With crabmeat stuffing, I'd probably make the sauce with clam juice to bring out the seafood flavor. And, maybe, the asparagus cooking water (ala Julia Child).

I'd also probably serve it with risotto and not a rice mix.


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## mish (Mar 3, 2006)

Thank you all for your suggestions.


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## Alix (Mar 3, 2006)

Hey mish, is there any chance of you getting fresh crab to use? IMHO, there is just no comparison between the canned stuff and fresh. (DUH! of course there isn't) If you can keep yourself from eating it all before you put it in the recipe I bet that would improve it a LOT.


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## velochic (Mar 12, 2006)

For the sauce, how about a simple bechamel instead?


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 12, 2006)

I don't know as if real garlic is a good substitute for garlic powder.  The 2 really don't taste anything alike.

I think I might add celery salt and add less seasoned salt.  That would give the whole dish a new dimension of flavor.  Instead of the ground red pepper, perhaps add some ground chipotle pepper?   As one who's never had chicken oscar I don't know the flavor of this other than what I'm imagining it to be so that may or may not work.  

One thing I would DEFINITELY do though is substitute the cream cheese for either marscapone or creme fraiche.

As someone else said--fresh asparagus.  Thin is always better than the thick ones.


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## Constance (Mar 12, 2006)

If I were you, I would pour the sauce over the chicken, and bake it covered until chicken is fork tender.
For the sauce, I'd use 2 tbls butter, 2tbls flour, 1 cup milk, one cup chicken broth, and seasonings of your choice. You might consider adding 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, which, when combined with the taste of the cream cheese filling inside the chicken, will give the dish a distant similarity to an Alfredo.  
Serve on a bed of your long grain/wild rice, to which I would add strips of sauteed sweet red peppers. I thinking keeping the rice separate & fluffy will add a better combination of texture to your dish. Garnish with something pretty, like sauteed whole mushrooms, an asparagus spear, red pepper strip, and bits of baby greens.


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## mish (Mar 13, 2006)

All the suggestions look like Oscar winners! Thank you. I remember a time when this dish was often on the menu, & pricy I might add. Now I rarely see it except on catering menus.

Constance, liked your tips re 'dressing' the dish up, and serving the rice on the side. Good point.



			
				Constance said:
			
		

> If I were you, I would pour the sauce over the chicken, and bake it covered until chicken is fork tender.
> For the sauce, I'd use 2 tbls butter, 2tbls flour, 1 cup milk, one cup chicken broth, and seasonings of your choice. You might consider adding 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, which, when combined with the taste of the cream cheese filling inside the chicken, will give the dish a distant similarity to an Alfredo.
> Serve on a bed of your long grain/wild rice, to which I would add strips of sauteed sweet red peppers. I thinking keeping the rice separate & fluffy will add a better combination of texture to your dish. Garnish with something pretty, like sauteed whole mushrooms, an asparagus spear, red pepper strip, and bits of baby greens.


 
Another thought, is serving the oscar chicken with fettuccine and incorporating the fettuccine sauce with the chicken. I came across a recipe I think might work. Will look it over and get back. Hope people will give it a try. I've enjoyed the dish at a restaurant long ago and want to put together a special dinner when the occasion arises, with the chicken oscar as the main attraction. Some recipes I've seen call for coating the chicken in crumbs. If you like chicken and seafood, give it a try, and let us know what you come up with.


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## Constance (Mar 13, 2006)

mish said:
			
		

> Another thought, is serving the oscar chicken with fettuccine and incorporating the fettuccine sauce with the chicken. I came across a recipe I think might work. Will look it over and get back. Hope people will give it a try. I've enjoyed the dish at a restaurant long ago and want to put together a special dinner when the occasion arises, with the chicken oscar as the main attraction. Some recipes I've seen call for coating the chicken in crumbs. If you like chicken and seafood, give it a try, and let us know what you come up with.



I'll go for noodles any time!


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## mish (Mar 13, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> I'll go for noodles any time!


 
Same here, Constance.  

I thought this might be a good side using the sauce for the chicken, and fettuccine in place of the farfalle (w/o the bread crumbs): See whatcha think. 

*FARFALLE WITH ASPARAGUS, ROASTED SHALLOTS AND BLUE CHEESE*

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/103260


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## Erik (Mar 13, 2006)

I use a roasted red pepper hollandaise for my Oscar dishes.
1/2 cup butter 
3 large egg yolks 
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 roasted red pepper, pureed
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce 
2 tablespoons hot water 

Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned. In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Gradually beat in butter, water,then red pepper puree. Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened. Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.


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## mish (Mar 13, 2006)

Erik said:
			
		

> I use a roasted red pepper hollandaise for my Oscar dishes.
> 1/2 cup butter
> 3 large egg yolks
> 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
> ...


 
Looks de-lish, Erik. Do you serve it with veal or chicken? TIA

Keep 'em coming. (I'm getting sooo hungry.)


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## Erik (Mar 13, 2006)

Veal,Chicken,Filet...use it all.
Great on Eggs Benedict, also!!!


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