I know it’s Christmas and I should be posting something Christmassy. Alas, I am lucky enough to get cooked for at Christmas and rarely need to get into the kitchen during the festive holidays. So instead I leave you with a chicken ballotine I made a few days ago.
I have tried this a few times and it has worked every time. I love leeks cooked in any conceivable way and the pistachios add texture and work really well with the chicken. Plus this dish looks quite handsome when you lay diagonally cut slices of chicken that reveal yummy stuffing inside.
The nice thing about ballotines is that you can change the filling by mixing and matching all sorts of ingredients and create a different ballotine every time. If you don’t have pistachios, try almonds and if you don’t have leeks, try spring greens or spinach. Or mushrooms. Or anything you like that goes with chicken (chorizo and breadcrumbs anyone?).
The other nice thing about ballotines is that they often come wrapped in smoky, salty pancetta or bacon, which not only add those wonderful flavours but help keep the moisture both by adding fat and by sealing the meat roll so it can steam inside. And it makes the whole thing look pretty as a picture with its vivid brownish-pink colour (whereas chicken flesh can sometimes look a bit dull on its own). It is vital that you render the pancetta or bacon fat after cooking the ballotine in the oven – you don’t want stringy fat bits to have to cut through and chew.
I served this ballotine with chilli garlic broccolini which was a lovely combination, but would go well with some roasted veg/potatoes and/or a nice fresh salad.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 3 | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 45 minutes | 1 hour |
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An easy to make chicken breast roll stuffed with pistachios and leek and wrapped in smoky pancetta
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- 1 leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 echallion shallots
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 15 grams butter
- Salt flakes to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup pistachio kernels chopped
- 2 chicken breasts large
- 14 rashers smoked pancetta
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves I used Greek basil
- Thinly slice the echallion shallots and the leek, and chop the garlic. Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees, 450 Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 8. Chop the pistachio kernels and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, add a glug of olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and leek and sweat on a low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add the tomato puree and mix well. Add the chopped pistachio nuts, the basil leaves and mix well.
- Slice the chicken breast lengthways without cutting through as if you were creating a book. Open the breast flat and season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Lay the pancetta slices overlaying them slightly. Place the chicken breast across the pancetta slices and place two tablespoons of filling in the middle.
- Roll the chicken breast like it was a swiss roll and wrap tightly in kitchen foil, sealing the ends with a twist. Place the rolls on the fridge for at least 1 hour so they get a bit firmer. Place the chicken rolls in a baking tray in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, unwrap the foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Spray a frying pan with a little oil, remove the foil and sear the pancetta on medium heat in order to render the fat to a crispy consistency.
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