Chicken and Bacon - New Zealand

diner524's Note:

Another recipe I found while searching for ZWT recipes for New Zealand/Australia. This is a recipe by Stu Todd, who was a contestent on New Zealand MasterChef. This is acutally a meal for two. It sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1 chicken breast, boneless and skin off
• 400 g streaky bacon
• 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 5 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 100 -200 ml milk
• 1 -2 tablespoon butter
• fresh ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup green beans, tops removed

Directions:

1. 1. To make the chicken parcel, lay a large piece of tinfoil on a chopping board. Lay the strips of bacon side by side on the foil so that there are no gaps. Butterfly the chicken breast, place between two sheets of cling film, and flatten with a rolling pin. Remove cling film and place the chicken on top of the bacon.
2. 2. Mix the Perfect Italiano Ricotta, baby spinach, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place this mix in the centre of the chicken breast in a cylindrical shape.
3. 3. Use the tinfoil to roll up the bacon, over the chicken breast, encasing the ricotta mix inside. Make sure that there is enough overlap of tinfoil so that the parcel can be sealed tightly. Twist the ends of the foil to seal. You should now have what looks like a large sausage wrapped in foil.
4. 4. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and poach the foil wrapped parcel in water for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the foil and reserve the juice from inside the parcel.
5. 5. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potatoes are just cooked and then strain. Place the potatoes back in the saucepan and place over a very low heat. Crush the potatoes with a potato masher. Add Anchor milk, Mainland butter, salt and white pepper to taste and mix until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.
6. 6. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the Mainland butter and oil. Place the chicken parcel in the frying pan and fry until the bacon is crispy. Remove from the pan and rest for five minutes.
7. 7. To make the sauce, place the Brancott white wine, Anchor cream and reserved cooking juices from the chicken in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thick.
8. 8. Bring a medium sized saucepan of salted water to the boil. Place the beans in the water and simmer for a few minutes until just cooked. Strain and pat dry.
9. 9. To serve, slice the chicken on an angle to create medallions. Place spoonfuls of mash on a plate. Top each spoon of mash with a medallion of chicken and a few green beans. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and around the plate.