The chefs at Castle MacLellan chefs have created this recipe for chicken ballotine canapés, ideal for nibbles at your Christmas party.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 large fresh spinach leaves
- 60g of Castle MacLellan Chicken Liver Pâté with Scottish heather honey
Method
- Assemble the ballotine by beating the breasts one at a time between pieces of cling film until they are twice the size
- Lay a piece of cling film on your worktop and place the chicken breasts (skin side down) and make sure the two fillets slightly overlap at the join.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Lay half of the spinach leaves along the middle of the chicken, then spoon the Castle MacLellan Chicken Liver Pâté on top in a long sausage shape.
- Lay the rest of the spinach leaves on top of the pâté. Take hold of the front edge of the cling film and carefully roll the chicken up into a sausage shape.
- Twist the end of the film together, tying them with string for extra security. Wrap the chicken “sausage” tightly in tin foil.
- Cook in a baking tray half filled with cold water for about 30 minutes at 190C/Gas Mark 5
- Test by piercing the centre with a fine needle. When the tip of the needle is hot, the ballotine is cooked. Remove from the water and allow to cool.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours so that it becomes firm. Remove from the foil and cling film and cut on the diagonal into 1/2- 3/4 inch slices. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15/20 minutes before serving.
Alternative suggestion:
Ingredients
2 roasted red peppers from a jar – opened out and dried with kitchen paper
60g Castle MacLellan Rannoch Smoked Duck Pâté with Bramley
Method
Follow recipe as above but substitute the spinach for roasted red peppers and the Castle MacLellan Chicken Liver Pâté for Castle MacLellan Rannoch Smoked Duck Pâté.