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Thrifty food |
10June 2008 |
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 Is it time to rethink the way we shop and eat?
In the current climate where food bills are up, time is tight and bank balances are down, do we need to adopt a more economicalapproach to food? Jenni is joined by Polly Russell, co-author of a new book called The Kitchen Revolution, and food enthusiast Justine Brian from the Institute of Ideas.
The Kitchen Revolution by Rosie Sykes, Polly Russell and Zoe Heronis published by Ebury Press, ISBN 9780091913731 |
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Rolled Chicken Breasts Filled with Asparagus and Cheese, with New Potatoes and Salad |
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Chicken, asparagus and new potatoes work together well, particularly in summer.
Flattening, stuffing and rolling the chicken breasts means they can be stuffed with a
mixture of asparagus and cheese, which helps to prevent them drying out and fills
them with flavour. Once you’ve discovered this way of stuffing chicken breasts you can vary the filling to suit the season and available ingredients. These ones are as good hot as they are cold and they travel well so they are especially useful for picnics. The recipe here accounts for eating four stuffed breasts immediately and freezing the remaining four. The quantities for the potatoes and salad serve four as these cannot be frozen.
Rolled chicken breasts filled with asparagus and cheese
2 bunches asparagus, approx. 600–800 g
8 small free-range chicken
breasts, skinless
250 g ricotta
1 lemon
handful of fresh flatleaf parsley
salt and pepper
New potatoes
600 g new potatoes
40 g butter
Salad
2 little gem lettuces
juice of ½ lemon
1 garlic clove
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
GET AHEAD PREPARATION (optional)
The asparagus can be cooked, the filling can be made and the chicken breasts can be filled and stuffed up to a day in advance. If you only have a little time:
* Prepare and cook the asparagus.
* Prepare the lettuce.
* Peel and crush the garlic.
* Chop the parsley.
1 1⁄2 hours before you want to eat prepare the stuffing and chicken
* Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus by
bending each spear close to the base so that it snaps at the point where the base turns woody, then rinse the tips under running water.
* Add the asparagus spears to the boiling water, cover with a lid and bring back to the boil. Cook until the asparagus is just starting to tenderise – once the water starts
boiling again this will take 3–4 minutes for thick spears and about 1 minute for thin spears
* Meanwhile, place four of the chicken breasts on a chopping board and cover with
clingfilm. Bash with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan until they are between 5 mm
and 1 cm thick – the thinner the better as they will be easier to stuff and roll. Put the
first batch aside and repeat with the remaining four breasts.
* When the asparagus is cooked, drain and rinse under cold running water to cool. Dry with kitchen paper and cut into short lengths no more than 5 mm long.
* Place the asparagus in a bowl with the ricotta and grate in the zest of the lemon. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and mix well. Chop the parsley finely and add half to the asparagus and cheese mixture.
1 hour before you want to eat make the rolls
* Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
* Lay the eight flattened breasts in two rows. Season them well and spoon 1 heaped
tablespoon of the asparagus and ricotta mixture along the middle of each breast.
Smooth out the mixture then roll each breast up lengthways, tucking in any stray
edges, and wrap each one very tightly in foil. Twist each end of foil tightly so that the parcels are airtight and the rolled-up breast will set into a sort of sausage shape as it cooks.
* Place four of the rolls on a plate in the fridge to set for 5 minutes and put the other
four in the freezer.
* While you are waiting for the oven to heat up and the rolled breasts to set, scrub the potatoes and place them in pan of well-salted water.
* Place the chicken parcels in an ovenproof dish, put them in the oven and roast them for 20–30 minutes, depending on their size.
* While the chicken breasts are roasting, bring the potatoes to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes until just cooked.
* Meanwhile, make the salad and dressing. Wash and dry the little gems, tear the leaves in half and put them in a salad bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl or jar and peel and crush the garlic. Add the garlic and mustard to the lemon juice, mix well then stir in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
* After 20–30 minutes remove the chicken rolls from the oven. Insert a small, sharp
knife into the middle of one roll and check that the tip feels hot when removed – if not return the chicken to the oven for 5 minutes. Otherwise, allow the rolls to rest for 5 minutes while you drain the potatoes and toss them in the butter, and dress
the salad.
* Unwrap the chicken rolls and slice each one crossways into four pieces. Serve with the salad and potatoes
Lazy day supper – cooking instructions
* Remove the rolled breasts from the freezer and defrost completely.
* Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Cook the rolls as above and serve with new potatoes and salad.
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