Description
Jamie Oliver’s chicken ballotine showcases Italian culinary artistry with carefully rolled chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and herbs. Delicate flavors and precise techniques make this dish a gourmet experience you’ll savor with each elegant bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 1 shallot (medium, finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (medium, finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (medium, finely chopped)
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) butter
- 0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt (divided, plus more for seasoning skin)
- olive oil or vegetable oil (for brushing the rack)
Instructions
- Vegetable Preparation: Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic with kosher salt in a large skillet over medium-low heat until tender and translucent. Cool completely.
- Chicken Deboning: Carefully separate chicken leg skin from meat, expose the bone, and remove it precisely without tearing the skin. Chop the deboned meat into substantial pieces.
- Filling Creation: Combine chicken thigh meat, sautéed vegetables, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground but not pureed, ensuring ingredient uniformity.
- Ballotine Assembly: Lay chicken skins flat, divide meat mixture into portions, and centrally place on each skin. Fold skin edges to completely encase the filling, creating neat parcels.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and position an oven-safe wire rack, lightly coated with cooking oil.
- Roasting Process: Position wrapped chicken portions on the rack with sealed edges facing downward. Sprinkle additional salt and pepper over the skin surface.
- Final Cooking: Roast for 25-30 minutes until skin turns golden and crispy, and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) when checked with a quick-read thermometer.
Notes
- Master Skin Technique: Delicately separate chicken skin from meat without tearing, ensuring a perfect wrapper for the flavorful filling.
- Precise Seasoning Balance: Use exact salt measurements to enhance taste without overpowering the chicken’s natural flavors.
- Temperature Control Critical: Monitor oven heat and chicken’s internal temperature to achieve golden, crispy skin and fully cooked meat.
- Texture Matters: Pulse meat mixture carefully to maintain chunky consistency, avoiding over-processing which can make filling dense and rubbery.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 130mg