Cranberry Chicken Roulade

Golden roasted chicken wrapped around a savoury cranberry, herb and nut stuffing, finished with cranberry sauce for a sweet-tart contrast. Festive enough for entertaining, but still simple enough to make for a special dinner at home.

Serves: 4–6
Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the cranberry & herb stuffing

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• Zest of ½ orange, optional

To serve

• ½ cup cranberry sauce
• Extra fresh thyme or parsley

Method

1. Prepare the chicken. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally through the centre without cutting all the way through. Open out and gently pound between sheets of baking paper until evenly flattened.
2. Make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Mix the filling. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl and combine with the breadcrumbs, cranberries, nuts, parsley, thyme and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. Add a small splash of water or chicken stock if the mixture feels too dry.
4. Roll the chicken. Lay the flattened chicken breasts out on a board. Spoon the stuffing along the centre of each piece, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll tightly around the filling and secure with kitchen string or toothpicks.
5. Sear. Rub the roulades with olive oil and season generously. Heat an oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 2–3 minutes on each side until lightly golden.
6. Roast. Transfer to the oven and cook for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the centre reaches 75°C.
7. Rest. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before removing the string and slicing into thick rounds.
8. Serve. Arrange the roulade slices on a platter and serve with cranberry sauce, fresh thyme and a little cracked pepper.

Tip: You can assemble the roulades earlier in the day and keep them covered in the fridge, then simply sear and roast when you’re ready to serve.