Chicken Ballotine with Wild Mushroom & Tarragon Duxelles

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

A rolled chicken breast, skin on and crisp, wrapped around a buttery mushroom and tarragon duxelles, poached gently then seared until golden. Sliced into glossy rounds with a tarragon-cream pan sauce, it looks like it came from a restaurant kitchen — because it basically did.

Per serving: 585 kcal · 52.0g protein · 8.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 large skin-on chicken breasts (about 200g each), or 4 supremes
• 300g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, oyster, a few dried porcini rehydrated), finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, very finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 40g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 3 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150ml chicken stock
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cling film and kitchen string (or foil) for rolling

Method

1. Make the duxelles: melt 25g butter in a wide pan, sweat the shallot and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cook over a medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes until all moisture has evaporated and the mixture is dark and jammy.
2. Add the wine, cook off for 1 minute, then stir in 2 tbsp of the tarragon and the panko. Season well and spread on a plate to cool completely.
3. Lay a chicken breast skin-side down between two sheets of cling film and gently flatten with a rolling pin to an even 1cm thickness, keeping the skin attached. Repeat with the rest. Season the flesh.
4. Spoon a quarter of the cool duxelles along the length of each breast, leaving a 1cm border. Roll up tightly from the long side so the skin wraps the outside.
5. Roll each ballotine snugly in cling film, twisting the ends tightly to form a neat cylinder, and tie the ends. Chill 15 minutes to set the shape.
6. Bring a wide pan of water to a gentle 80°C (barely trembling, no bubbles). Poach the wrapped ballotines for 20 minutes, until the centre reads 68°C. Lift out, rest 5 minutes, then unwrap and pat completely dry.
7. Heat the olive oil and remaining 15g butter in a heavy frying pan. Sear the ballotines, starting skin-side down, turning, for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crisp all over. Internal temp should now be 72°C. Rest on a board.
8. Make the sauce in the same pan: pour off excess fat, add the stock and reduce by half, scraping up the fond. Add the cream and Dijon, simmer 2–3 minutes until it coats a spoon. Off the heat, stir in the remaining tarragon and lemon juice, and season.
9. Slice each ballotine into 3–4 thick rounds, arrange cut-side up and spoon the tarragon cream around. Lovely with buttered new potatoes and wilted greens.