Chicken and Matsutake in Parchment

SERVES TWO

• 1 bunch green onions, trimmed
• 1/4 cup sake, or dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each
• 2 ounces matsutake mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed and thinly sliced

Cut the green onions into about 3-inch lengths, then cut those pieces lengthwise into julienne strips. Put the green onion strips in a small bowl and drizzle with the sake and soy sauce. Toss gently to mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper about 18 inches long. Fold each piece in half lengthwise and trim the paper into an oversized heart shape.
Lift out about half of the green onion strips from the sake-soy mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip back into the bowl, and put them on one half of the parchment paper heart, just in from the folded edge. Set a chicken breast over the green onions. Repeat for the second sheet of parchment. Drizzle the remaining sake-soy mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, then lay the matsutake slices on top.
For each packet, fold the other half of the parchment heart over the chicken breast. Starting at the top of the heart at the folded edge, begin making short folds that overlap slightly, working all around the open cut edges to fully seal them. If the edge doesn't seem well-sealed, and you have ample paper, you can go back around and do the same again.
Set the parchment packets on a baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes. Take the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the packets to individual plates. Either snip open the top of the packet with kitchen shears or simply tear the packet open with your fingers, careful to avoid that first puff of hot steam that will rise up along with the wonderful cooking aromas.