French Garden Chicken with Puff Pastry & Cream Sauce
&
Lillet & Tonic
A note from us
We are completely obsessed with airline chicken breast right now, and this menu is exactly why. It cooks up beautifully, presents like something out of a French bistro, and once you try it, regular chicken breast feels like a step down. Layered with flaky puff pastry, garden vegetables, and a Dijon herb cream sauce, it is comforting without feeling heavy, which felt right for the height of summer.
Divide the work and this one comes together easily. One of you can handle the pastry and vegetables while the other sears the chicken, and everything lands on the table warm at the same time.
We are pairing this one with a Lillet & Tonic, a bright and easy sipper that keeps the whole evening feeling light even with a rich sauce on the plate.
Kevin & Kate
The Cocktail
Lillet & Tonic
The Menu
French Garden Chicken with Puff Pastry & Cream Sauce
Cook Along with Us
Your Weekly Essentials
Everything you’ll need to make this meal — plus a few pantry staples you probably already have.
If you could spend a month living anywhere in the world, where would you go?
This week we're leaning into Yves Montand, warm, romantic, and effortlessly French, the kind of voice that makes the kitchen feel like a little bistro on a summer evening.
notes from the kitchen
Just a few kitchen tips to make the most of this week's ingredients and flavors.
AIRLINE CHICKEN BREAST
This cut is a boneless breast with the drumette bone left attached, and it is worth seeking out at a local butcher shop if you can. It cooks beautifully, holds its shape, and presents so well on the plate that it has genuinely spoiled us for regular chicken breast. If you cannot find it locally, regular boneless chicken breast works just fine, adjust your cook time slightly since it will likely be thinner.
PUFF PASTRY TIPS
Allow the pastry to soften just enough to cut to individaul size rectangles, about 3 x 5 inces. Keep your pastry cold in the freezer until it goes in the oven, this is what gives you those tall, flaky layers.
ONE PAN, LESS CLEANUP
The sauce comes together right in the same skillet you used for the chicken, no need to wipe it out or grab a new pan. Those browned bits left behind are what give the sauce its depth, so scrape them up as you whisk.
MAKE IT LIGHTER FOR SUMMER
This menu leans comforting without tipping into heavy, which made it feel right for the tail end of summer heat. The cream sauce is rich but the vegetables and squeeze of lemon keep it bright, so it eats more like a spring dish than a deep winter one.
SAUCE CONSISTENCY
If your sauce feels too thick after simmering, whisk in a splash more chicken stock or milk until it loosens to the consistency you want. It will also continue to thicken slightly as it sits, so err on the looser side when you pull it off the heat.
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We hope you enjoy this week's menu. And as always,
Keep the Plates Full and the Spark Alive
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