Apricot-stuffed chicken
Served with roast veges and a curry dressing, this chicken dish is packed with flavour and can be prepared in advance.
APRICOT-STUFFED CHICKEN WITH ROAST VEGE MEDLEY
Serves: 4-5 Apricot-stuffed chicken 1⁄ brown onion, finely diced
2 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger 1⁄ cup chopped dried apricots
2 1⁄ cup water
4 600g chicken breasts 1⁄ cup flour
2 2 eggs, whisked 11⁄ cups wholemeal breadcrumbs
4 1 tablespoon olive oil Roast vege medley 600-800g pumpkin or orange kumara, peeled, diced 2cm 1 red, yellow or orange capsicum, core and seeds removed, sliced 2cm 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets 2-3 handfuls baby spinach leaves Curry dressing 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1⁄ teaspoon curry powder
2 2 teaspoons mild sweet chilli sauce 1 teaspoon vinegar (e.g. white wine, red wine, cider) Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Cook the onion, ginger, apricots and water in a saucepan on low to medium heat, stirring often, until pulpy, about 6minutes. Add a little extra water if it dries out. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Toss the pumpkin/kumara and capsicum on the first prepared tray with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12 minutes. Rinse the broccoli in cold water and toss with the roasted vegetables on the tray to cook a further 8minutes. Remove from the oven to cool slightly, then toss through the spinach. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Use your hand to press down on the chicken, slice part-way through the middle horizontally, leaving a hinge. Spread a little of the apricot mixture over one open side of chicken breast and fold over to encase the filling. Repeat with each breast. If you do not have whole chicken breasts to fill, do not stuff; crumb the breasts and reserve the remaining apricot filling to serve. Put the flour, whisked eggs and breadcrumbs into 3 separate, shallow bowls or plates; season the chicken with salt, coat each chicken breast first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Put onto the second prepared tray and drizzle with olive oil, position on an oven rack higher than the vegetables, and cook the whole breasts for 15-20 minutes, and partial breasts for 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness) until chicken is just cooked through. Rest chicken for 2–3 minutes then slice thickly. Mix the curry dressing ingredients together, season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide the roast vege medley and sliced chicken between plates. Drizzle over the curry dressing.