Chicken Niçoise in Puff Pastry

° Serves 4

Frozen puff pastry shells are available in many supermarkets. They go directly from the freezer to the oven and can accommodate a variety of fillings, including shrimp, scallops, vegetables, and scrambled eggs. In this recipe, I fill them with chicken in a delicious sauce containing diced black olives—definitely “dressy” enough for company.

To make the pastry shells taste richer, rub them with butter before baking. Then, after the shells are baked, you remove the “lids” with the point of a sharp knife. Inside you will find a soft dough that is cooked but not crisp. Fill the shell as needed. The chicken filling can also be served by itself.

• 4 frozen puff pastry shells
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• Filling
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), cut into ½-inch-wide strips
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large shallots, peeled and chopped (about ¼ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped very fine (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon bottled steak sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1½ cups halved, seeded, drained, and cut into ½-inch dice ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ½ cup oil-cured black olives (about 20), pitted
• 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the tops and bottoms of the frozen puff pastry shells with the butter. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until well puffed and quite brown. Turn the oven off, prop the door slightly open, and allow the shells to cool in the warm oven (this allows them to cool slowly and helps keep them from collapsing).

When the pastry shells have cooled enough to handle, remove them from the oven and lift off the lids with the point of a sharp knife. Then return the shells to the warm oven until serving time.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet until the mixture is very hot. Sprinkle the chicken strips with the salt and pepper and place them in the hot skillet. Sauté over high heat for about 1½ minutes, stirring to separate the pieces. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the shallots and garlic to the drippings in the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and cook until the mixture begins to sizzle. Add the steak sauce, water, and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then stir in the ketchup and olives. Return the chicken to the pan, heat through, and sprinkle with the tarragon.

Place the pastry shells on individual plates and spoon the chicken mixture into and around them. Serve immediately.

Note: To prepare this dish ahead, sauté the chicken and prepare the sauce, but do not combine them until just before serving. If you don’t have frozen pastry shells on hand, you can serve the chicken mixture on its own or on toast.