This is one of my favourites. It’s classy, tasty and relatively easy to make.
The thigh is the juiciest part of the bird. While most recipes in cookbooks and on the internet call for using chicken breast, I rarely use it as it is the driest and least rewarding option.
Chicken thighs stuffed with rice or meat appear to be common fare around much of the world. A dish that can fulfil both protein and carbohydrate needs literally all wrapped up in one.
In French cuisine this dish is known as ballotine from the French balle or package.
Use chicken thighs with the skin on: it’s tastier and, as they cook in the oven, the fat from the skin drips down over the lower parts of the chicken, adding extra flavour.
Ingredients (for six portions)
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup of wild rice
- Canola oil
- 1 onion, diced small
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced small
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 sticks of celery, peeled and diced small
- 50 g of roasted chestnuts, chopped
- Olive oil
- Zest from half a lemon
- Small bunch of chopped parsley
- 3 cups chicken stock (hot)
- Salt and pepper
- String for tying the chicken thighs
- Coarse salt and pepper for sprinkling on the skin
Method
Soak the wild rice in cold water for half an hour, then sieve it. Add a dash of canola oil to a small pot, heat then add the rice, stir, reduce heat to low, add hot chicken stock, half a teaspoon of table salt and let cook, stirring occasionally. Wild rice takes longer to cook than white; add more liquid if needed, but you probably won’t use all the stock. It will take about 30 minutes until the rice is ready.
Add a dash of olive oil to a fry pan. Cook onions until they are transparent. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, add the celery and lemon zest and stir for a minute. Add the pine nuts and chestnuts, toss for a few minutes. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste, stir for a minute then remove from the stove top.
Add the onion mixture to about two thirds of the cooked wild rice. Add more rice if you require more filling. Leave to cool.
Place the chicken thigh skin down on a cutting board. Generously spoon the filling into the centre of the chicken thigh and roll up tightly. Cut two lengths of string and tie tightly around the portion towards each end. Place on a paper-covered baking tray, brush the visible skin with olive oil and sprinkle a little coarse salt and pepper on the top.
Pre heat your oven to 185 Celsius and cook for about an hour. Remove from oven and let sit for six or seven minutes before slicing and plating.
Next week, we’re going “country” in the USA, with deep fried bird/turkey.
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