Stuffed Chicken Breasts Served with a Broad Bean & Herb Salad

Serves 4 (with sides) 

My kids go nuts over these stuffed chicken breasts. Serve them with a large salad, or if the weather is chillier, some roast vegetables. I have teamed them with a broad bean and herb salad as well as a simple rocket salad (Baby rocket mixed with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

Ingredients

650 to 700gm of chicken breast fillets (2 to 3 fillets)

200gm sliced prosciutto (about 8 to 10 thin slices)

100gm baby spinach finely chopped

100gm Feta cheese

10 to 12 pitted black Kalamata olives, chopped

Small handful, toasted pine nuts

Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pepper for seasoning stuffing

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan forced)

Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. It’s important you keep stirring them and don’t let them burn. As soon as they start to brown lightly, pour them out into a bowl to cool.

For the stuffing mix the spinach, oregano, olives, pine nuts, feta cheese, olive oil and a pinch of pepper. Mash thoroughly with your hand until a paste is formed.

Take the breasts and flatten out gently, either with a meat tenderising hammer or using a rolling pin and covering them with baking paper. On a flat board, lay 2-3 strips of prosciutto across-ways and slightly overlapping. Then lay a breast over the top lengthways with the long ends top to bottom. Using a spoon or your hand take a third of the stuffing (assuming three breasts) and spread evenly over the chicken. Now carefully tuck each long end over and then roll the prosciutto into the chicken to form a roll. Repeat with each breast and place in a lightly oiled baking tray (I actually use a paella dish for this). I also sprinkle a little olive oil over the breasts and some pepper.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar and let the breasts rest for 5 minutes. Slice to serve.

I’ve served this with a Broad Bean and Herb Salad and a simple Rocket Salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

  

Broad Bean & Herb Salad 

Ingredients

1.4Kg broad beans (un-podded)

2L unsalted water

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ Tbsp. red wine vinegar

½ cup parsley finely chopped

½ cup basil finely chopped

1 x bunch of chives finely chopped

½ red onion thinly sliced

1 spring onion finely chopped

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar mixed with 6 tbsp. boiling water (in a small bowl)

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Pod the beans and blanch in unsalted boiling water for three minutes. After blanching, drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Soak the red onion in the vinegar / water mix for 15 minutes to soften. Then drain off the liquid and place in a large mixing bowl.

You’ll need to remove the thin skin on each pea. I do this by creating a small tear on the edge of the bean with my fingernail or a sharp knife and squeezing the bean out. Squeeze the beans into the same mixing bowl as the red onion. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Transfer to a clean salad bowl and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to combine. This salad is great served with BBQ meat as a side.