Give your plain chicken breasts an upgrade by stuffing them with wrapping them with bacon.
This chicken roulade by self-taught home cook, published book author, and social-media food influencer Sinoyolo Sifo is fancy enough for a special occasion but quick enough for a week-night meal.
Bacon-wrapped chicken roulade
Ingredients
100g butter, room temperature
100g baby spinach
4 large skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp Cajun spice
salt and black pepper, to taste
230g cream cheese
600g streaky bacon
Fresh rosemary, to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 20g of butter. Add the spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes, until just wilted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board. Butterfly each breast using a sharp knife (see notes and tips).
Place the open, butterflied chicken breasts on your work surface and season with Cajun spice, salt, and black pepper.
Mix the remaining butter and cream cheese with the cooked spinach.
Place approximately two tablespoons of the spinach and cream cheese mixture in the centre of each chicken breast. Roll up each chicken breast and wrap it in bacon.
Transfer the chicken breasts to a lined oven tray and bake for 25–30 minutes or until brown all over. Toward the end of the cooking time, grill the chicken breasts for 1–2 minutes to crisp up the bacon.
Once cooked, let the chicken rest outside the oven for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes and tips:
How to butterfly chicken breasts? Place a chicken breast on a chopping board. Lay one hand flat on top of the breast to keep it in place.
With your other hand, use a sharp knife to cut a long, smooth cut horizontally through the middle of the breast, starting at the thicker end and ending at the thinnest point. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the other side.
Open the chicken breast and lie it flat so that it resembles a butterfly. Use a rolling pin to flatten it some more and create an even thickness.