MASTERCHEF MAKEOVER
This month, John Torode gives a new twist to one of our most popular prepare-ahead dinner party classics
John Torode’s three-cheese chicken
It’s great to get retro in the kitchen and the popularity of the original recipe I was asked to make-over proves that. I haven’t deviated too much from the Good Food favourite (if it ain’t broke...) but I’ve cranked up the flavour and added spinach and mushrooms, keeping it in line with classic dinner-party combinations. It’s great to try new things and push yourself in the kitchen – but when you’re after a proper hit, you can’t beat a bit of nostalgic cooking.
Cheese, spinach & mushroom stuffed chicken
SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins A LITTLE EFFORT
40g dried porcini mushrooms 3 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 100g baby leaf spinach 150g ricotta
50g firm mozzarella, coarsely grated
20g parmesan, finely grated 4 skinless chicken breasts 4 slices prosciutto 1 Boil the kettle, tip the mushrooms into a small bowl, pour over boiling water to just cover, then leave to soak for 15 mins. Drain and squeeze out the mushrooms (save and freeze the liquid to make a base for a gravy) and roughly chop.
2 Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the shallots and garlic for 3 mins. Turn up the heat, throw in the mushrooms and cook for a few mins more. Add the spinach, turn the heat up to high and cook until wilted and all the liquid has evaporated. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Beat in the cheeses and season with loads of pepper and a little salt. Set aside.
3 Take the chicken breasts and remove the small fillet from the back. Cut a slit into the side of each chicken breast then stuff each one with a quarter of the spinach mixture, closing it with the cut-off fillet. Carefully wrap each stuffed chicken breast in a slice of prosciutto and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to a day ahead.
4 To cook, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line up the chicken on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 mins until the prosciutto is frazzled at the edges, the cheese is oozing out and the chicken is cooked through.
GOOD TO KNOW calcium • gluten free
PER SERVING 397 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 7g • carbs 7g • sugars 1g • fibre 1g • protein 48g • salt 1.0g