Recipe: Chicken Mousseline Ballotine with Squash Puree, Chasseur Sauce and Seasonal Vegetables
Late summer crops provide sweetness to the vegetables that pair beautifully with the lightness of the chicken mousseline for a dish sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place bacon on flat surface and flatten with rolling pin, set aside. Place butterflied chicken breasts on flat surface and pound with mallet until flat. Place chicken breast atop bacon, cover and set aside in refrigerator. Place 2 cups (500g) chicken in food processor, add both egg whites one at a time, once combined, slowly add cold heavy cream in a steady stream to the food processor. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pass mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Add parsley. Remove bacon and breasts from refrigerator; place the mousseline mixture on breasts. Roll breasts and bacon tightly around mousseline to create a cylinder. Wrap tightly in parchment or plastic wrap, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place ballotine in a hot water bath in oven for approx. 35 minutes or until internal temperatures reaches 160°F (71°C). Once cooked, unwrap and set aside to dry out. Heat sauté pan, place ballotine in pan and sauté 4-5 minutes, rotating to crisp bacon. Set aside and keep warm.
Squash Purée:
Bring 4 cups (2L) salted water and 2 cups (500g) squash to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer squash for approx. 20 minutes or until soft. Place squash in a blender with salt and pepper, reserving the cooking liquid. Add liquid as necessary for a smooth purée consistency. Adjust seasoning and pass purée through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside and keep warm.
Chasseur Sauce:
Heat sauté pan, add oil. Add shallots to pan, sauté until translucent. Add mushrooms, sauté until soft. Add white wine, deglaze pan. Add tomatoes, and cook until au sec, then add demi-glace. Adjust seasoning, and strain sauce through sieve. Set aside and keep warm.
Grilled Seasonal Vegetables:
Toss vegetables lightly with oil. Grill vegetables until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut ballotine into 12 equal pieces and place 3 pieces on each plate. Divide squash purée evenly among 4 plates. Add desired amount of sauce to each plate. Place 2 tomatillo halves, 1 cherry tomato, ¼ (25g) of the peas and 2 mushroom halves per plate.
Notes
Chef Notes:
– Grated nutmeg or grated cinnamon can be added to squash purée for additional flavour. – Vegetables can be sautéed or pan fried rather than grilled.
– As an alternative, try using the chicken skin instead of bacon to wrap the ballotine.