Stuffed Chicken with Baked Onion and a Morel Velouté

Ingredients

Contains: egg, milk, wheat, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 4 chicken breasts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 banana shallots
• 1 tbsp picked fresh thyme
• 4 chicken livers
• 50g/1¾oz goats’ cheese
• 50g/1¾oz crème fraîche
• 1 lemon
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• 4 medium onions
• 20g/1oz unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 100g/3½oz parmesan
• ½ lemon
• pinch caster sugar
• 12 slices pancetta
• large bunch tarragon
• 1 slice good quality white bread
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 banana shallot
• 50ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
• 18 dried morels
• 3 banana shallots
• fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic
• 200ml/7fl oz dry white wine
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium Maris Piper potatoes
• knob of unsalted butter
• 2 handfuls chestnut mushrooms
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
• 12 leaves of micro herbs, preferably dark, i.e. purple basil or amaranth

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Soak the dried morels in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes, then drain, rinse and reserve the soaking liquor, strained.

2. Halve the onions through the root and peel. Scatter the 1 banana shallot and 2 garlic cloves in a roasting dish, set the onions cut-side up on top, and add the 20g butter, a pinch of sugar, the rosemary and the lemon half juiced. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes, then uncover, splash with cider vinegar and bake 20 minutes more until golden.

3. For the stuffing, soften 2 finely chopped banana shallots and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a little of the 50g butter for 3 minutes. Add the chicken livers and cook 3 minutes until just firm, then cool.

4. Soak the torn slice of bread in the 100ml double cream. Blend with the cooked livers, shallot mixture, goats' cheese, crème fraîche, egg yolk, parmesan, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper until smooth.

5. Cut a deep pocket in each chicken breast, season, and fill with the stuffing. Wrap each breast in 3 slices of pancetta. Sear in 2 tbsp olive oil until browned, then bake alongside the onions for 20 minutes until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest 5 minutes.

6. For the velouté, soften 3 finely chopped banana shallots and 2 garlic cloves in a knob of butter. Add the chestnut mushrooms, the sliced morels and thyme, pour in the white wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and reserved morel liquor and simmer 15 minutes.

7. Stir in the 150ml double cream, simmer 5 minutes, then blend and pass through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.

8. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water until tender, drain and mash with the remaining butter. Dress the micro herbs with the olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and chop the tarragon to scatter over the sauce and dish.