Receta The Bird is the Word.
The Bird is the Word.
Stuffing meat into different kinds of meat is an American tradition. Take an ordinary lil' chicken breast for example. You can slice an opening in the side of a nice piece of chicken breast and stuff it with virtually anything and it will be delicious. Well maybe not anything. Bubblegum or soap are two things that I would not recommend stuffing into chicken but anything yummy and fatty and savory would work.
Chicken cordon bleu is one of my favorite all time classic chicken dishes. So delicious. Crispy breaded chicken stuffed with salty ham and gooey Swiss cheese. I decided to do a serious twist on the same idea but instead of ham I used spicy sopressata salami and rich aged Spanish manchego cheese. After tying off the chicken to keep all the yummy stuff inside I seared them off in a little bacon fat (cause that's how I roll) and finished them off in the oven. In the meantime I made a fennel and apple slaw with fresh dill, Spanish olive oil, rice wine vinegar, and honey. Tart and sweet with the tasty anise flavor of fennel. Very delicious. When the chicken was done I pulled it out of the oven and removed the string. After letting it rest for a bit I sliced into it and topped it off with a cherry tomato chow chow (a tasty mix cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh corn, and fennel fronds). This dish had a great balance and was super duper tasty. It's a great simple dish for a dinner party or date night.
- Sopressata and Manchego Stuffed Organic Chicken Breast with a Fennel and Pink Lady Apple Slaw and Cherry Tomato Chow Chow
- for the chicken:
- 4 organic boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 lb. thinly sliced spicy sopressata
- 1/2 lb aged manchego cheese (Parmesean would work if you can't find manchego), thinly sliced
- kosher slat and fresh cracked black pepper
- bacon fat or butter
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Slice a pocket into the sides of the chicken breasts. Stuff the slit with equal amounts sopressata and manchego. Make sure none of the filling is falling out. Tightly tie the breast shut to keep in the goodies. Season with salt and pepper. In a saute pan over medium high heat heat up some bacon fat and sear off both sides of the chicken breast. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken reaches 155F. Set aside and rest for at least 7-8 minutes before slicing.
- for the fennel and apple slaw:
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 2 pink lady apples (you can use whatever apples you have on hand), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Spanish olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp chopped dill, chopped
- 2 tsp chopped fennel fronds, chopped
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Make the slaw while the chicken is cooking. Using a mandoline slice the fennel and apple as thinly as possible. Toss with the remaining ingredients. Season. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
- for the chow chow:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp fennel fronds
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp pimenton dulce
- olive oil
In a saute pan over medium heat saute the garlic in olive oil until soft, add the tomatoes, corn, and pimenton. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the tomatoes just start to burst open (about 3-4 minutes) Toss with the fennel fronds and set aside.
Place some of the slaw on a plate, top with the sliced chicken breast and a bit of chow chow. Garnish with a little fennel frond and dill. Yum.