Serves 2
Polenta preparation time: 5 minutes
Chicken and stuffing preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for the stuffing:
- 1 x 100g / 3.5 oz pork sausage
- ¼ cup Italian parsley leaves
- 1 slice fresh bread (any), crust off
- ¼ cup cashew nuts
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp mustard
Ingredients the rest:
- 1 x large chicken fillet
- 2 TBS olive oil
- ½ cup La Favorita Truffle Polenta
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 cube chicken stock
- 2 TBS La Favorita Genovese Basil Pesto
- 4 mini tomatoes – color of your choice, cut into wedges
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions for the Filling:
STEP 1
In a food processor, pulse the bread into fine crumbs and set aside in a bowl. Next, pulse the cashew nuts until fine and add them to the breadcrumbs. Add the balance of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse until everything has mixed together. Add the breadcrumbs and nuts to the sausage mixture and pulse.
STEP 2
Cutting along the length of the chicken fillet, create a pocket with a sharp knife. Fill that pocket with some of the sausage stuffing, being careful not to overfill. Lay down a sheet of plastic wrap and place the chicken fillet on top. Roll the fillet up and twist the ends so that the package is tightly sealed and resembles a sausage.
STEP 3
Lay a similar size piece of plastic down again, and spoon the balance of the filling along the length of the plastic. Roll the filling up, and seal it as you did the chicken. Try to create a sausage of filling that is the same size as the chicken.
STEP 4
Poach both the chicken and filling “sausage parcels” in simmering water for 15 minutes or until cooked through. The internal temperature should read 74°C/165°F when it’s ready. Set them aside to cool, open the parcels, and remove them. Place the chicken and the stuffing into a small pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with a little salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 180°C/356°F. Pop the chicken and filling in the oven for 5 minutes while you cook the polenta.
STEP 5
Bring 3 cups of water seasoned salt and stock cube to a boil. Add the polenta to the water and whisk. Continue whisking or stirring the polenta for 5-6 minutes or until it starts to come away from the sides.
STEP 6
To assemble, spoon some of the polenta into a bowl. Slice the chicken and stuffing into rounds and lay them on top. Drizzle a little pesto around the sides of the bowl and lay a few tomato wedges alongside the chicken. Season with a little cracked black pepper and serve.
Photo, food styling and recipe by Casey Bumpsteed