Stuffed Chicken
Stuffing chicken has been a European favourite for years and the Italians in particular are masters at it, packing their chicken breasts with everything from garlic butter to sharp-tasting cheeses.

My stuffed chicken has the winning combination of cream and spinach, which is one of the healthiest vegetables around - it's packed with vitamins and iron and has only 20 calories per 4oz (100g) serving.

When you slice open the chicken breasts, the spinach spills out into the rich sauce. Commit this stuffing and sauce to memory as you'll be able to apply it to mild-flavoured fish dishes. Follow the entire recipe, replacing the chicken breasts with your favourite whole fish. And vegetarians can use this method for good old-fashioned mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS
Stuffed ChickenSauce
  • 2.5oz (65g) butter
  • 3 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
  • 6oz(175g) mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 6tblsp cooked spinach
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2tsp dried chervil
  • 4 x 6oz(175g) chicken breasts
  • 0.5oz(15g) butter
  • 2 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
  • 10fl oz(275ml) chicken stock, made from a stock cube
  • 5fl oz(150ml) dry white wine
  • 5 mushrooms, chopped
  • 1pt(575ml) double cream
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220 C/425 F, gas mark 7. To make the stuffing, melt 2oz(50g) butter and saute&grav the shallots or onion until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for two minutes. Stir in spinach, season to taste, then add the chervil. Cut a lengthways pocket in each of the chicken breasts and fill with the stuffing. Using the remaining butter, lightly grease the chicken breasts and wrap them in separate pieces of foil. Place them on a baking tray and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, make sauce. Melt butter and saute&grav shallots or onion. Add the stock, wine and mushrooms and boil rapidly for 2 minutes to reduce by three quarters. Add cream and cook to allow sauce to thicken slightly. Season, pour sauce over chicken. Serve with new potatoes or boiled rice and mangetout.

Please send any comments on this page to:
G.Mills@compserv.gla.ac.uk
(George W. Mills, Computing Service, University of Glasgow)