Pancetta Chicken Parcels with Brioche Stuffing
A timeless dinner party staple, our recipe uses brioche for a decadent, sweet stuffing and can be cooked from frozen.
Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 50min. Serves 6
◆ 25g (1oz) butter ◆ 1 small onion, finely
chopped ◆ 1 celery stick, finely
chopped ◆ 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled ◆ 175g (6oz) stale brioche ◆ 25g (1oz) dried apricots,
finely chopped ◆ 1 medium egg ◆ Small handful fresh
parsley, finely chopped ◆ Finely grated zest and
juice ½ lemon ◆ 6 large skinless
chicken breasts ◆ 18 pancetta slices ◆ 1tbsp olive oil ◆ 2tbsp double cream
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Melt butter in a medium pan and cook onion and celery for 10min until softened but not coloured. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves, add to pan and fry for 1min. Empty into a bowl and let cool. 2 Meanwhile, whiz brioche in a food processor to make crumbs. Tip crumbs into cooled onion mixture. Add apricots, egg, parsley and lemon zest and juice, and season. Stir to make a stuffing. 3 Cut a slit into the underside of each chicken breast, then use your finger to open into a pocket. Firmly push ⅙ of the stuffing into the pocket. Repeat with remaining breasts and stuffing. 4 Arrange 3 pancetta slices side by side, lay on a chicken breast (stuffing-side up) and wrap ends of pancetta around breast, sealing in stuffing. Repeat with remaining pancetta and breasts. 5 Put wrapped breasts (pancetta-seam down) in a large roasting tin. Scatter in remaining garlic
cloves and drizzle over oil. Cook in oven for 35min until golden and cooked through, basting chicken with juices after 20min. Put the chicken on a board, cover loosely with foil and keep warm. 6 Mash roasted garlic in tin with juices and a splash of water. Stir in cream and put over medium hob heat. Bring to boil and simmer for 1-2min, until it is coating consistency. Check seasoning, then strain into a small jug. Serve chicken with the sauce, veg and Boulangère Potatoes, if you like. PER SERVING 421cals, 40g protein, 21g fat (9g saturates), 17g carbs (5g total sugars), 1g fibre To freeze
Make to end of step 5, then tightly wrap each breast in clingfilm and put into one sealable bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, unwrap frozen breasts and follow recipe, cooking for 1hr, adding garlic cloves halfway. Check chicken is cooked through (if using thermometer, temperature needs to be 75°C) before serving.