Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta in Lemon Sauce
I have no idea where my Dad got this recipe!
I have no idea where my Dad got this recipe!
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- -- sauce --
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- -- stuffing --
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped, cooked, drained
- 1 cup gorgonzola cheese
- 8 slices bacon crumbled
- 2 tbs dijon mustard
- 2 lemons squeezed
- salt, pepper and parsley to taste
- -- chicken --
- Carbohydrate 11.2849592592593 g
- Cholesterol 1133.415 mg
- Fat 56.3325231481481 g
- Fiber 2.18927775387411 g
- Protein 248.890754814815 g
- Saturated Fat 18.5753614814815 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1340g)
- Sodium 1736.2447962963 mg
- Sugar 9.09568150538515 g
- Trans Fat 8.47525962962962 g
- Calories 1611 calories
Step-by-step
- In a bowl combine spinach, ricotta, Gorgonzola, and the bacon and mix well.
- Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the egg, mix well, and set aside.
- Compine the wine and stock in a non reactive pan.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce like consistency.
- Wishk in the mustard, lemon juice, and season with sale and pepper.
- Set aside.
- Place each breast between 2 doubled up sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an 1/4 inch thickness with a meat-pounder or rolling pin.
- Divide the stuffing between the breasts, mounding it along the center of each.
- Fold the bottom edge of each breast over the stuffin, fold in the sides, and roll the chicken all over the salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat oil in a large pan.
- Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned about 2 minutes per side.
- Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook until just cooked through, about 5 more minutes.
- Transfer chicken to plate and let rest 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the sauce into the skillet over high heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Slice the chicken into medallions, divide amoung plates, and spoon over the chicken, garnish with parsley and serve.
Why does stuffed chicken tear during rolling?
Pounding poultry to an even quarter-inch thickness requires consistent downward force rather than glancing blows, preventing premature holes that allow cheese fillings to leak into hot oil. Double-layering plastic wrap around each breast keeps the delicate muscle fibers intact while flattening uneven lobes. Mounding the filling tightly down the center leaves a one-inch bare margin on all sides, ensuring the protein seals securely around the spinach and cheese core without bursting open during the initial two-minute sear.
How should the reduction sauce be managed?
Combining white wine and chicken stock in a non-reactive pan prevents metallic off-flavors from dissolving into the liquid during reduction. Boiling the mixture rapidly evaporates water content until it coats the back of a spoon, concentrating the foundation before Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice are whisked in off the heat to prevent curdling. Scraping the skillet with a wooden spoon after searing the poultry incorporates browned fond into the finishing liquid, adding savory depth to the bright citrus notes.
How do leftovers hold up?
Refrigerated medallions retain moisture for up to two days when stored in an airtight container separate from remaining sauce. Reheating requires gentle, low-temperature oven warming rather than microwave exposure to prevent the chicken protein from toughening and the gorgonzola fat from separating.
