Recipe: Chicken Roulade, Pancetta Cream Sauce, Charred Broccolini

GONNA SAY IT...chicken can be pretty ZZZZZZ. But...it can be also be super yummy. Go the way of the European old skool classic: Roulade. Fun to cook & it looks like a meat sushi roll. Add your own spin. Add something spicy. Experiment. Who cares? Hack the classics.

The GC Comforting Cluck Cluck Oink Oink Roll-Up & Stuff

Prosciutto+basil stuffed chicken roulade w/ pancetta+cremini shroom cream sauce & red pepper+citrus charred spicy broccolini

Ingredients:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Prosciutto [sliced paper thin goodness]
• Handful of basil leaves
• Pancetta [2-3tbs cubed/diced/delicious Italian version of bacon]
• A few sprigs of thyme
• Cremini mushrooms [1/2 cup sliced]
• Dry white wine [1/2 cup of the cheap stuff will do fine]
• Heavy cream [2 cups]
• 3 garlic cloves [minced]
• Fresh grated parmesan
• Parsley [chopped]
• Bundle of broccolini
• 3 lemons [2 juiced]
• 1 orange [juiced]
• Crushed red pepper flakes [a pinch or 2 or 3]
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Sea salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• Dan the Automator's instrumentals from Deltron 3030 blasting from the speakers

[Serves 2]

Chicken Roulade: Butterfly the chicken breasts then pound w/ a Thor's hammer caliber mallet til about 1/4 inch thin. Layer thinly sliced prosciutto & basil leaves on top, a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, drizzle of olive oil, s&p. Roll up really tight & secure w/ toothpicks. If you're using toothpicks, soak in water 1st unless you want a campfire in your meat sushi. You could also use twine if you prefer bondage over stabbings. Season well w/ s&p. In a med-hi heat pan w/ olive oil, brown all sides. I know the dang thing is round but do your best. Transfer to a baking dish. Top w/ butter, thyme, lemon slices & lemon juice. Roast at 350d for 15-20min. Don't undercook chicken, unless you're trying to kill someone...then by all means.

Pancetta+Shroom Cream Sauce: On med heat, saute the pancetta in olive oil til it starts to brown. Add the cremini shrooms, some minced garlic & butter. Cook til shrooms are golden. Add the cheap wine to deglaze all the yummy pork bits/fond & reduce til it cooks out. Add heavy cream & season w/ s&p. When it boils, take it off the heat & stir in some freshly grated parmesan & fresh chopped parsley. It'll thicken up & smell like total awesomeness.

Charred Broccolini: Blanch then pat dry. Toss & coat w/ olive oil, a little lemon & orange juice, crushed red pepper, minced garlic, s&p. Grab a glass of the cheap wine, take a break, sip & let the broccolini marinate for a bit. Set your grill to surface-of-the-sun high heat. Grill til the broccolini starts to get charred. Wont take long. Fiyah!

Plating: Slice up the roulade into little disks. I like to pile them up & make a little castle/tower looking thing. Lay down some of the spicy charred broccolini & ladle some of the pancetta+cremini cream sauce on top. Make it snow w/ a little more chopped parsley & basil. Fresh.

GC comfort food.

#CookOrDie

Soundtrack: "Positive Contact [instrumental]" - Deltron 3030