This chicken dish remains succulent thanks to the Italian-style stuffing. It's a lovely chicken recipe, best served with creamy mash.
Ingredients
- 4 large free-range chicken breasts, with skin
- 200g baby spinach
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g pack cubed pancetta
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 200g mascarpone
- 40g grated Parmesan
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Make an incision in the side of the chicken breasts to form a pocket, then set aside.
- 2. Place the spinach in a colander in the sink and pour a kettle of just-boiled water over to wilt it. Refresh under cold water, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then chop.
- 3. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the pancetta for 3 minutes until it starts to turn golden. Add the onion and fry for another 5 minutes until the pancetta is crisp and the onion is softened.
- 4. Add the spinach, mascarpone and Parmesan to the pan. Mix together, season and set aside to cool a little.
- 5. Spoon the mixture into the pockets of the chicken breasts and secure each with 1-2 cocktail sticks. Put in a shallow roasting tin, drizzle with the remaining oil, and season. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Serve with creamy mash.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 658kcals, 44.1g fat (21.1g saturated), 60.3g protein, 5.2g carbs, 4.3g sugar, 1.5g salt
Chef's tip
Try these flavours in a risotto. Make a classic risotto, then stir in cooked chicken and bacon, with wilted spinach leaves and mascarpone.