Entertain at home: Stuffed chicken breasts with goats’ cheese
By choosing organic chicken breast meat and stuffing it with a simple yet punchy filling, an ordinary staple becomes an extraordinary feast, especially if you entertain guests. Serve with a crunchy green salad topped with thinly sliced red onion, dressed with your favourite salad dressing.
Serves 4
You’ll need: 100 g plain chevin/ goats’ cheese; 125g plain cream cheese; 1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves, shredded; a handful fresh dill, finely chopped; finely grated zest of 1 lemon; ½ garlic clove, finely grated (optional); salt & pepper to taste; milk, for mixing; 4 large organic boneless chicken breasts, preferably skin on; 60ml melted butter; a crunchy green salad topped with red onion, to serve (optional).
How to:
Preheat oven to 220 C.
In a small mixing bowl, crumble the chevin and add the cream cheese, shredded spinach, dill, lemon zest and garlic. Season generously with salt & pepper, then mix to a thick paste (add a little milk to loosen it up if necessary, but keep a thick spreadable consistency). Set aside.
Use a sharp knife to slice the breasts open horizontally, then divide the stuffing evenly between the four breasts, covering the full cut surfaces of each and closing them neatly again. Use a toothpick or two to secure the top flaps, if necessary.
Brush a medium-size baking dish with butter, then arrange the stuffed breasts next to each other, skin sides up. Brush the stuffed chicken generously with butter and season with salt & pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and just cooked on the inside. Remove from the oven, remove the toothpicks, slice carefully diagonally into thick-sliced and serve hot with a crunchy, well-dressed green salad topped with thin red onion slivers.
About the wine, Creative Block 2:
Gooseberries, limes and white peaches reveal its tropical character, while underlying notes of fynbos and a touch of white asparagus deliver serious depth. The palate is young and tropical, leading to a long, mineral tail that is tight and structured.
Also, pairs well with butter-roasted free-range chicken with seasoned goat’s cheese under the skin, or battered SASSI-friendly fish nuggets with anchovy mayonnaise.
Spier Signature wines can be tasted and purchased at the farm in Stellenbosch and are widely available at retail outlets and supermarkets and online at shop.spier.co.za.
* Recipe & image by Spier.
