Chicken roulades with spinach & cheese stuffing

It takes a little more time to prepare this recipe but the cooked result is worth it. A mature Cheddar cheese is used for the stuffing and sauce, but feta cheese also works well. Don't worry if some of the stuffing cheese escapes into the liquid, because it will all be incorporated into the sauce.

• Preparation: 30 mins
• Cooking: 45 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

• 4 Boned and skinned chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Dried thyme
• 85g Young spinach
• 150g Gruyeye cheese, in one piece
• 1 1/2 tbsp Vegetables oil
• 1 small Onion, sliced thinly
• 165ml Hot chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Cornflour
• 165ml Skimmed milk

What you do:

1. Place the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound them with a heavy rolling pin until they are about twice as large, but not so thin you can see through them.
2. Sprinkle each one with a little nutmeg, thyme, and seasoning, followed by a few leaves of the raw spinach, dividing these equally between the 6 pieces.
3. Cut three quarters of the cheese into finger-size pieces. Place one in the middle of the spinach on each chicken piece. Roll up the chicken pieces 'swiss roll' fashion, tucking in the side edges to enclose the cheese. Secure with thin string or cocktail sticks.
4. Heat the oil in the shallow casserole over medium heat on the hob.
5. Add the onion and fry gently until it is just beginning to soften.
6. Add the chicken roulades and brown them evenly on all sides. Scallops of pork or turkey make a delicious alternative for this dish.
7. Gradually add half the hot stock around the roulades with a little seasoning. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is very tender.
8. Lift the roulades out of the pan and keep them hot on the upturned lid. Carefully remove the strings or cocktail sticks.
9. Add the remaining stock to the cooking liquid and bring this to a simmer.
10. Blend the cornflour with a little of the milk, then stir this and the remaining milk into the liquid, simmering and stirring until the sauce thickens.
11. Finely grate the remaining cheese into the sauce, stirring until it melts.
12. Taste and adjust the seasoning before returning the roulades to the sauce to reheat.

Cook's tip:

Serve with boiled plain rice or noodles.

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