Chicken Ballottine

Ingredients

Rice

• 2 cups rice
• x number cups homemade chicken stock (see recipe below) or low-salt canned chicken broth or water (see your rice packet's instructions)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 large leek, trimmed (leaving some green), split, washed, and sliced (1 cup)
• 1 onion (4 ounces), chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup water

Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms (stemmed and sliced)
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 heaping Tbsp flour
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 Tbsp cognac (to deglaze the pan)
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Dash of soy sauce

Spinach Stuffing

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 5 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Gruyère or mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) bread

Sauce

• 1 whole chicken
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 celery stalk (2 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
• 1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 carrot (2 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/3 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon potato starch (see info below), dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Rice

1. Start by bringing some water/chicken stock to a boil in a pot. Rinse your rice to remove excess starch and then add it to boiling water with a little salt. Cover and place in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
2. Set the rice aside in the pan, uncovered.
3. Meanwhile, combine the leek, onion, oil, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water is gone. Add to the rice, mix well, and let cool to room temperature.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1. Stem, smash and slice 8 ounces of Cremini mushrooms. Then dice them into smaller pieces.
2. In a high walled sauté pan, add 3 Tbsp of butter along with your sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt.
3. Once the moisture has evaporated out of the mushrooms, add 1 heaping Tbsp of flour. Mix to combine for 1 minute.
4. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding 1 Tbsp of cognac to deglaze.
5. Once all the alcohol has cooked out, add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of heavy cream. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer before adding a dash of soy sauce.
6. Cook until dark, thick, and rich.

Spinach Stuffing

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute to soften the garlic and wilt the spinach.
2. Add some of the cream of mushroom soup and reduce.
3. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Chicken Ballottine

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lay the chicken skin side down on the work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the chicken, sprinkle the cheese and bread cubes on top of the spinach.
3. Roll the chicken up, tie it with kitchen string.
4. In a ripping hot cast iron skillet, sear the chicken on all sides before placing in the oven.
5. Roast the ballottine for 1 hour. Lift it from the pan and place it on a platter.

Sauce

1. Skim off and discard most of the fat from the drippings in the pan.
2. Add the water and wine to the drippings to deglaze the pan, and heat over medium heat, stirring to loosen and melt the solidified juices.
3. Strain the juices into a saucepan. Add the celery, onion, and carrot and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved potato starch and soy sauce and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring, to thicken it. Remove from the heat.
5. Transfer the ballottine to a cutting board and remove the string. Cut half of it into 4 or 5 slices, each about 1 inch thick.
6. Return the uncut half of the ballottine to the serving platter and arrange the cut slices in front of it.
7. Pour the sauce over and around the ballottine, garnish with the parsley, and serve.