This recipe is from the cookbook, "Happy Holidays from the Diva of Do-Ahead" - Diane Phillips. Buy her book!
Serves 10 to 12
These succulent bites of cooked chicken wrapped in bright green spinach will be gone in no time, so plan to have plenty of them on hand, along with cocktail toothpicks for spearing. The prep requires a little bit of time, but the result is well worth the effort.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 quarter-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
One 10-ounce bag baby spinach
2 quarts boiling water
Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce
1. Trim the chicken breasts of any fat and place them in a large sauteé pan with the broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer the chicken until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the broth.
2. Remove the chicken from the broth and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Discard the broth.
3. Place the spinach in a colander in the sink and pour the boiling water over it. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Lay a spinach leaf on a cutting board and place a piece of chicken in the center. Roll the leaf around the chicken and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all the chicken is wrapped. Diva Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
4. Arrange the wrapped chicken on a serving platter and place the dipping sauce in a small bowl in the center. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
This sauce is delicious with Spinach-Wrapped Chicken Bites with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce, but it's equally good served with skewers of cooked beef, salmon, or shrimp.
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions (white and tender green parts), thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and scallions, stirring to blend. Diva Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
2. Stir in the sesame seeds just before serving.
