Honey Chèvre Chicken with Apricot Thyme Sauce

Fresh Ripe Apricots

As spring fades into summer one of my favorite fruits hits the markets in California, oh the joy of apricots! As a small child I would climb my Grandma’s apricot tree (you know, the one just in front of the chicken coop, next to the clothesline.) The tree was really old, it’s sharp rough bark nearly cutting into my hands. Drippy pitch the color of amber oozing onto my hands as I climbed higher to reach the fruit that tasted of honey and sunshine.  Hopefully you will find a ripe treasure at a farmer’s market or fresh produce stand near you.

What is your favorite early summer fruit? Close your eyes, what memory does it bring back to you as you take that first bite?

Honey Chervé Chicken with Apricot Thyme Sauce

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Honey Chèvre Chicken with Apricot Thyme Sauce
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
Filling
2 oz Montechevré Honey Goat Cheese
2 oz fresh Mozzerella Cheese
2 tablespoons cooked Bacon Bits
2 tablespoons chopped Toasted Walnuts
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme
1 tablespoon fresh chopped Chives
pinch Kosher Salt

Apricot Thyme Sauce
1 tablespoon Butter
4 sliced ripe Apricots
1 cup Savignon Blanc wine
1 tablespoon Honey
½ teaspoon fresh Lemon Thyme leaves
pinch Kosher Salt

Prep
1. MIx filling ingredients in small bowl.
2. Shallow cut into thick part of chicken breast to create a pocket, angling in from the thin side. Stuff pocket with about 1-2 tablespoons filling, close opening with toothpick horizontally.

Directions
Sauce: In a 2 ½ cup saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, add apricots and stir to coat with butter, cook 4 minutes to begin caramelizing fruit. Add the wine, honey, fresh lemon thyme and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer to reduce about one third. Taste and add pinch of salt to taste. Remove from heat.
Chicken: Preheat  oven to 350º  and in 10” ovenproof fry pan add a thin layer of olive oil, heat to nearly smoking and brown chicken breasts on both sides. Put fry pan with chicken in oven to finish, cook about 15 minutes. Check with food thermometer for 160º.   Remove from oven, plate and drizzle a bit of Apricot Thyme Sauce.