This is a relatively technical dish if you want to make all parts from scratch as described here, though I’ll also provide alternatives for those who don’t have the time or inclination to make everything from scratch. Chicken breasts can be bought ready-made in their own package. Just buy one chicken thigh if you have the option, as you don’t need much. Chicken broth can be used instead of homemade stock.
Start by deboning the chicken; there are many good guides on the internet for doing this. It’s important to remove the breast fillets whole and intact. The wings and thighs will also be used, so set these aside. Save the trimmings and carcass for making stock. This is the longest process in the recipe (should simmer for 2-3 hours), so start with this. Use a large pot. Add all the ingredients and pour over enough water to cover everything, then bring to a boil. Skim off the foam from the top, and once boiling, lower the temperature to a gentle simmer for 2-3 hours.
Bring a large pot to a boil with 1-2 liters of water and a little salt for the spinach. Prep the spinach by removing the stems and washing. It should cook for 3-4 minutes. When the spinach is done, transfer to a colander/strainer and press out all the liquid. Set aside the finished spinach.
Cut the meat off the thighs and brown in a frying pan. Once the meat is browned, place it on a cold plate and set the pan aside—the fat from cooking will be used for the sauce later.
The breast fillets should be pounded flat (about 2 cm). Do this by placing them between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin or similar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Use an immersion blender to blend the browned thigh meat with cream cheese and spinach into a smooth mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Place a teaspoon or two in the center of each chicken breast and use the edge of the plastic wrap to start rolling the ballotine. Make sure it’s completely sealed and twist the ends so it’s easy to tie a knot on both sides. Set a pot of water on the stove so the water is just below boiling, add the chicken and let it poach for 40 minutes with the water just below the boiling point.
Set the oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Crush the four garlic cloves with the knife and add to a pot with the cream and bring to a boil. Take out an ovenproof dish. Remove the garlic cloves and pour 1/5 of the cream into the dish. Slice the potatoes and beetroot thinly and lay one layer of potato, season with salt and pepper and pour cream over. Then one layer of beetroot, cream, and then a final layer of potato. Finish with cream. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes.
When the chicken has been in the water for 40 minutes, remove it from the plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place.
Pour the sherry into the frying pan where the chicken meat was browned, then add the chicken stock. Reduce to a sauce consistency and finish with the cream.
Slice the chicken ballotine diagonally in the middle and place on the plate with the potato and beetroot gratin. Finish with the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- --- Stock ---
- Carcass and trimmings from chicken
- Bay leaf
- Thyme
- Tarragon
- 10 peppercorns
- 1/4 celeriac
- 2 roughly chopped carrots
- 2 roughly chopped onions
- Salt
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- --- Ballotine ---
- 2 chicken breasts without bone and skin
- 20 g finely chopped chicken meat from thighs
- 1 package / 110 g spinach without stems
- 75 g cream cheese or ricotta
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Pepper
- --- Gratin ---
- 450 ml cream
- 4 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper
- 450 g potatoes
- 225 g beetroot
- --- Sauce ---
- 150 ml medium-dry sherry
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 55 ml cream
Instructions
Start by deboning the chicken. It's important to remove the breast fillets whole and intact. The wings and thighs will also be used, so set these aside. Save the trimmings and carcass for making stock.
Make the stock: Use a large pot. Add all the stock ingredients and pour over enough water to cover everything, then bring to a boil. Skim off the foam from the top, and once boiling, lower the temperature to a gentle simmer for 2-3 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1-2 liters of water and a little salt for the spinach. Prep the spinach by removing the stems and washing. It should cook for 3-4 minutes. When the spinach is done, transfer to a colander and press out all the liquid. Set aside.
Cut the meat off the thighs and brown in a frying pan. Once the meat is browned, place it on a cold plate and set the pan aside—the fat from cooking will be used for the sauce later.
The breast fillets should be pounded flat (about 2 cm). Do this by placing them between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin or similar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Use an immersion blender to blend the browned thigh meat with cream cheese and spinach into a smooth mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Place a teaspoon or two in the center of each chicken breast and use the edge of the plastic wrap to start rolling the ballotine. Make sure it's completely sealed and twist the ends so it's easy to tie a knot on both sides.
Set a pot of water on the stove so the water is just below boiling, add the chicken and let it poach for 40 minutes with the water just below the boiling point.
Set the oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Crush the four garlic cloves with the knife and add to a pot with the cream and bring to a boil. Take out an ovenproof dish. Remove the garlic cloves and pour 1/5 of the cream into the dish. Slice the potatoes and beetroot thinly and lay one layer of potato, season with salt and pepper and pour cream over. Then one layer of beetroot, cream, and then a final layer of potato. Finish with cream. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes.
When the chicken has been in the water for 40 minutes, remove it from the plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place.
Pour the sherry into the frying pan where the chicken meat was browned, then add the chicken stock. Reduce to a sauce consistency and finish with the cream.
Slice the chicken ballotine diagonally in the middle and place on the plate with the potato and beetroot gratin. Finish with the sauce.
Notes
This is a technical dish. Stock-making takes 2-3 hours, but chicken broth can be used as a shortcut. Ready-made chicken breasts can also be purchased separately.