Ballotine of Chicken

Submitted by Brian Holley

"This makes a wonderful centre piece for a party/dinner with friends. You could use a duck or small turkey instead of the chicken. You will need some knife skills to bone out the bird, and, time to make the sauce and stuffing, But it is well worth the effort."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 24
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 (4 lb) whole chickens, boned out
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 glass dry sherry
• 1⁄4 lb button mushroom, sliced

• FOR THE STUFFING

• 1 ounce butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 ounces ham, chopped
• 12 ounces ground pork
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumb
• 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sage, chopped
• 1 glass dry sherry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 10 pistachio nuts, chopped

• SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon carrot, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
• 1⁄2 tablespoon celery, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3⁄4 pint chicken stock
• 2 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 teaspoon tomato puree
• salt and pepper
• bouquet garni

directions

1. Lay the bird breast down on a chopping board, with a sharp knife cut along the back bone. Now work all over the carcass leaving the skin in tact, till all the meat has been removed from the bones. Work down the legs and thighs in the same manner till the carcass can be removed. This will take a little time, don't rush the job, enjoy it.
2. Melt the butter ina pan and add the onion and cook till soft but not coloured. Remove from the heat. Add the minced meats with the breadcrumbs and all the other stuffing ingredients.
3. Stuff the bird and sew along the open edges with fine cotton. Tie with string round the bird at 2" intervals.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a roasting tin, set the bird on a grid and baste with the hot oil.
5. Roast in oven at 200 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 20 minutes.
6. To prepare the sauce.
7. Heat the oil in a pan add the vegetables and cook till soft but not coloured. Stir in the flour and reduce the heat cook till a golden russet colour. Stir in 1/2 pint of the stock, and the rest of the ingredients.
8. Stir till boiling. Reduce the heat and cook at a slow simmer for 30 mins.Add the rest of the stock and cook for five more minutes.
9. Fry the mushrooms in the butter till soft.
10. Remove the bird to a serving dish. Pour off the cooking fat and deglaze the tin with the sherry. Strain and add to the sauce with the cooked mushrooms.
11. Pour a little sauce over the bird and serve.
12. Cut the bird across the body not along it, that way the stuffing with be encased inside the meat.