Chicken Friand (La Mad Copycat)

A savory chicken and mushroom mixture enveloped in a flaky puff pastry square and topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. This Chicken Friand (La Mad Copycat) recipe is a savory french recipe everyone will love!

I recently visited my sister in Texas and went to La Madeleine for the first time. We went for desserts (they were delicious), but on the way out, my mom and I noticed all the savory options!

Lovely looking mini quiches sat on the warmer, but the thing that really caught our eye? Chicken Friand. I didn't know exactly what it was off first glance, but from what I could tell it was some sort of chicken mixture in a square of flaky puff pastry. In the words of Ina Garten.. How bad could that be? I knew I had to try and replicate it myself.

Boy, oh boy, this recipe DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

I did a little research on this french pastry dish both from La Madeleine's website and other versions of the recipe, to make sure that I got it just right. I have to say, I am so pleased with how it turned out.

The mushroom and chicken filling is so flavorful, and uses one of my favorite herb blends-- herbs de provence (I also love it in these whipped sweet potatoes). Store bought puff pastry helps to cut down on prep time a little bit, without sacrificing quality at all.

While this isn't the quickest recipe to make, it isn't difficult. There are just several steps involve. I suggest grabbing a loved one and making it together while you have a chat, and at the end you will have a delicious meal to enjoy together.

And if you are looking for more french recipes after trying this one, try this french leek soup, basic crepes recipes, or white wine tarragon cream sauce.

Ingredients

• chicken
• cremini mushrooms
• shallots or yellow onion
• garlic
• heavy cream
• shallots
• herbs de provence
• frozen puff pastry sheets
• white wine
• salt
• egg

How to Make Chicken Friand

Remove puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge for a few hours before you begin.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides and cook through. Remove from the pan and set to the side. Once cool enough to handle, chop to a small dice.

Add minced cremini mushrooms, garlic, and shallots and cook down for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream, cooked chicken, and herbs de provence and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

On a well floured surface roll out puff pastry until it is smooth and flat. Cut into equal sized rectangles. I did six, but eight would also work.

Repeat the process with the second piece of puff pastry. Place six rectangles down on a large baking sheet, leaving an inch or two of room for them to expand in the oven.

Scoop mushroom filling into each rectangle. Wet finger with water and trace the outer edges of the pastry. Gently place second sheet of puff pastry over top, lining them up as well as you can. Use a fork to crimp the edges together. Crack an egg in a small bowl and add 1 tbsp. of water. Use a fork the whisk the egg into a light yellow color. Brush egg wash on top the top of each pastry.

Place in the oven and bake for around 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

While the pastries are in the oven, prepare the mushroom sauce.

In the same skillet, melt remaining butter. Add sliced mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and reduce for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.

Top pastries with warm mushroom sauce and serve.

How to serve

Because this baked chicken dish is already cooked in puff pastry and covered in mushroom sauce, there isn't too much to do serving wise. I like them with a simple green salad, like this arugula salad or with a side of sweet peas. Both of these sides offset the richness of the dish and add a beautiful pop of color!

Variations and substitutions

• If you can't find puff pastry sheets (they should be in the freezer section by the pie crust), crescent roll dough works well too. You won't get that same level of flakiness, but you will still get the buttery goodness. They will be similar to this chicken packet recipe, which is one of my favorites. Puff pastry is delicious, if you can find it. I use it here in this pecan kringle recipe.
• Canned mushrooms work great here, both in the filling and in the sauce on top. The filling uses finely chopped mushrooms, so you most likely won't notice the difference.
• A little green onion or chives would be a delicious addition to the chopped chicken filling. Add fresh herb, like tarragon or parsley would suit these flavors and compliment them nicely.

Storage

Store finished pastries in the fridge for up 3 days. Chicken Friand can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Because laminated pastry is delicate, it may lose some of its texture when it is thawed and refrozen. But they will still be tasty and because of the work involved it can be beneficial to make a double batch. Freeze uncooked, prepared chicken pastries for up to 3 months. Add several minutes to the cook time when you bake them from frozen.