Surprise Stuffed Chicken Breast w/Pancetta, Roasted Rosemary and Onion Potatoes, Sautéed Broccoli and Red Wine Gravy
The reason why I’ve called this ‘surprise’ chicken breast is because you can stuff it with whatever you wish… mushrooms, feta cheese, spinach, mashed sun-dried tomatoes, etc. etc. I just happened to have a block of cheddar cheese left over from yesterday’s scrummy grilled cheese on toast.
Serves one
Chicken breast
4 rashers streaky smoked bacon or pancetta
50g cheddar cheese, grated
50g butter, softened
Herbs of choice, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, smashed and chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
Mix the cheese, garlic, herbs and butter together to make a paste consistency. Meanwhile, make a slit in the chicken and stuff the mixture inside – just like chicken Kiev.
Spread and stretch the rashers with the back of a knife making a 'blanket' - place the chicken at one end of the rashers and roll up tightly. Sushi Knives were my choice here, since they are so sleek and sharp as to make cooking faster.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add a little oil and brown the meat - 2 minutes each side.
Place on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 15 minutes (depending on size) or until the chicken is cooked through.
Roasted Rosemary and Onion Potatoes
Potato, skin on and cut into 1" chunks
Small onion, finely chopped
Olive oil, glug
A few garlic cloves, whole
Handful dried or fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
Mix the above ingredients and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place in a roasting tin and put in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to crisp.
Sautéed Broccoli
Lightly boil some broccoli spears in a pan until al dente then drain into a sieve. Place the pan back onto the heat with the sieve on top so that the broccoli dries out - be careful not to burn the empty pan.
Return the spears to the pan and drizzle with a little olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Shake the pan from time to time as you want them to lightly fry, not burn.
Red Wine Gravy
In a pan add a tiny amount of oil then a large knob of butter. Add one small onion, peeled and finely chopped then cook until soft, around 5 minutes or so.
Add a teaspoon soft brown sugar and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes until things are starting to brown and caramelise.
Add a big glug of red wine, turn the heat up and stir. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Now add 50ml chicken stock. The gravy is ready when the liquid has reduced by half.
Once prepared this is really easy to cook. Start by putting the potatoes in the oven then think about browning the chicken in a pan (4 minutes or so) then 15 minutes in with the potatoes. When the chicken is done set it aside under foil to keep warm and rest. Meanwhile, have the gravy going whilst you cook the broccoli.
Note: Bacon, pancetta, prosciutto or jamon can be used to wrap the breast(s).