Chicken in Phyllo
Serves 12

12  Chicken breasts, boned & Skinned(4 oz.)
1/2 pound butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup cognac
12 sheets phyllo pastry

DUXELLES
1 1/2 pound mushrooms
1 onion
1/4 pound butter
2 tablespoons cognac
2 tablespoons minced parsley

WHITE WINE SAUCE
1/2 - 3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 carrot, peeled sliced
2-3 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon  arrowroot
1 Tablespoon butter

Sauté‚ Chicken breasts in 1/4 pound butter and the oil in a heavy skillet until lightly browned on each side, about 1-2 minutes.  Remove to a plate, reserving butter and juices.  Heat and ignite cognac and pour over chicken breasts. When flames are extinguished, pour liquid into skillet and set aside.

Melt remaining butter in a clean pan.  Spread a sheet of pastry on a damp cloth,  brush with butter, fold in half and brush again with butter.   Put half a chicken breast at narrow end, spread with Duxelles, and fold pastry to make a rectangular package.

Butter a jelly-roll pan and put chicken packages on it;  brush tops with butter.  The recipe may be prepared in advance up to this point, wrapped, and refrigerated.

When ready to serve, bake in a 400ºF oven 25-30 minutes, or until puffed and brown.  Serve with White Wine Sauce.

DUXELLES:
Chop mushrooms very finely.  Mince onion. Sauté‚ mushrooms and onion in butter over moderate heat until most of the moisture is evaporated from the mushrooms.  Moisten with cognac and stir parsley.

WHITE WINE SAUCE:
To make sauce, add wine to cognac and juices in pan in which chicken was browned and cook to reduce slightly, scraping up brow bits.   Add chicken stock, carrots, shallots, parsley, bay leaf, and a good pinch of thyme and simmer 30 minutes.  Strain. It is best to put it now in freezer for a while, or in the refrigerator overnight, so that fat rises to the top and solidifies.

Remove fat.  Heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Make a paste of the arrowroot and a little hot sauce or water and add to sauce.  Stir until thickened.  Just before serving, beat in the butter.