Elizabeth at Cascarot Hotel In France Sends Us This Delicious Recipe

Thank you so very much Elizabeth for this delicious recipe. I am handing over to you to share your story with everyone!

Many years ago I received a phone call from the school my children went to, and yes, I had to go and collect my sick baby, and still to this day I can’t remember if it was Stephanie, Claire or Nicholas, such a terrible mother. When we got home, the unwell child was popped into bed after a dose of panadol and a glass of water. She or he immediately went to sleep which left me with some free, and unexpected time, what to do, cook of course! This was limited to what was in the fridge and pantry.....hmmmm.


I decided on cheese and chive soufflé for entree and this simple little chicken roll, courtesy of Australian Women’s Weekly. 

These days I make it in batches of 20 for Cascarot but I’ll try and pare down the quantities for you.


For 6 People


6 medium chicken breasts1 lemon if large, perhaps 2 small, zest and juice18 slices of prosciutto, largeHalf a loaf of crusty bread250 gms diced baconMelted butter, this varies, so about 50 gms but you can adjust as needed.


One by one, place the chicken breasts in a large piece of cling film, covering it underneath and on top, allow enough to give the chicken plenty of space as you beat it, very therapeutic if you’re having a bad day. I use a wooden rolling pin to beat it out, you need an even thickness, not paper thin but it should about double in size. Continue until you have all six breasts beaten and still in their cling film.


Make the stuffing. Slice the bread and then blitz in batches, not too fine. Add the zest and juice of one lemon, and the diced bacon, taste to make sure it’s got enough lemon but not so that it’s overpowering. Melt the butter and stir through. The mixture should not be too wet but be able to hold together, do NOT season with salt as you have plenty in the bacon and prosciutto, pepper to your taste.


Unwrap a breast but leave the clingfilm underneath it, this will help with tensioning the breast as you roll. Place the stuffing mixture in a log shape on the breast and roll, I start at one end and then use the cling film to tension it, and then start at the other end. Continue until all breasts are stuffed and rolled.


Lay out three pieces of prosciutto side by side on a board, gently remove the clingfilm from the chicken roll, place the roll on the prosciutto and wrap away. The prosciutto holds the whole thing together and adds moisture, along with the stuffing, to make sure your roll is not dry.


Then heat some oil in a large pan, a tablespoon or two, and then brown the rolls on all sides, don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool if not serving immediately. 

These can be finished off in the oven, 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes but start checking at 10 minutes, they should not be soft or too hard, you should feel a little bit of give when you press gently on the roll with a fork, or knife. 

Serve with salad and crispy potatoes as you like.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth McQuinn

Cascarot Hotel, France