Not every delicious meal comes out of a well-equipped kitchen. This poached chicken supreme came out of a tiny IKEA kitchen in a house in Córdoba Province, with an oven I didn't trust and a chicken that needed cooking. Poaching was the obvious answer – and as it turned out, the right one.

The technique is simple, but it has a trick worth knowing: the supreme is stuffed with a parsley, garlic and lemon mixture, wrapped tightly in food-grade cling film, and simmered in stock and white wine liquor. The cling film keeps the stuffing in place, holds the shape, and traps the moisture. It works. Don't skip it.

The result is a poached chicken supreme that is genuinely moist all the way through with a clean, fresh flavour and an herb stuffing that stays exactly where you put it. Served with a spinach, caper and celery leaf sauté, it's a proper plate of food for one.

What's a Chicken Supreme?

A chicken supreme is a breast with the wing joint still attached — the short section of wing bone that gives the cut its shape and makes it look considerably more elegant on the plate than a plain breast fillet. You'll find it in most decent butchers and some supermarkets. If you can only get a standard boneless breast, the recipe works just as well — you just lose the presentation point.

The skin is removed for this recipe. You're poaching, not roasting, and the skin adds nothing here. What you want is clean, white meat that absorbs the flavour of the stock and the herb stuffing from the inside out.

Poached Chicken Supreme — The Method

For the poaching liquor:

• 200ml chicken stock
• Small glass of dry white wine
• ½ small onion, peeled and sliced
• A few fennel seeds

For the stuffing:

• A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, half finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

For the capery spinach:

• Frozen spinach, enough for one
• Several capers
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Fresh celery leaves from the bunch used for stock
• Juice of half a lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A few grates of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Pour the stock, wine, onion, and fennel seeds into a pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Mix the chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together in a small bowl with salt and pepper. Mush it together well — you want a rough paste rather than a neat mixture.
3. Butterfly the chicken supreme by slicing horizontally through the thickest part and opening it out like a book. Spoon the herb mixture over the inside.
4. Close the supreme and wrap it tightly in food-grade cling film — several layers, twisted at both ends to form a neat parcel. This keeps the stuffing in and holds the shape during poaching.
5. Lower the parcel into the simmering liquor — it should be fully submerged. Keep it at a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Trust the process — simmering in stock through cling film is not the same as simmering in water. The stock matters.
6. While the chicken poaches, chop the remaining parsley with the capers and garlic. Add lemon juice and a glug of olive oil. Stir the mixture through the spinach and celery leaves and sauté gently until wilted. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
7. Check the chicken at 15 minutes — pierce through the cling film at the thickest point. If it's still pink, rewrap tightly and return to the pan for another 5 minutes.
8. Remove, unwrap carefully — the parcel will be hot — and rest for a minute before plating.

H2: A Few Notes from the Casa Adora Kitchen

The cling film: Use food-grade cling film and wrap tightly — several layers. The tighter the parcel, the better the shape and the more effectively the stuffing stays put. Twist the ends firmly and tuck them under.

The stock: Don't be tempted to use water. The stock, wine, and fennel create a fragrant poaching environment — the gentle heat and steam are kinder to the meat than plain water, and the liquor is there waiting when you unwrap the chicken onto the plate. Water works. Stock is better.

The celery leaves: Use the fresh leaves from the bunch of celery you're already using for the stock. Nothing goes to waste, and they add a mild, savoury bitterness to the spinach that works beautifully with the capers.

Scaling up: This recipe is written for one but scales easily. One supreme per person, same liquor, same pan — just make sure everything stays submerged.

This poached chicken supreme recipe is part of my easy chicken dinner ideas collection — a complete guide to cooking every cut, every style, from Casa Adora and the road. Wonky photos, proper chicken, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.