Prep. Time: 5′       Cooking Time: 25′        Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • For the chicken fillet:
  • 4 chicken breast fillets
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cognac
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Dried apricots and plums
  • A little cooking twine

  • For the filling:
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 100g ground beef
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 4 finely chopped dried plums
  • 4 boiled and finely chopped chestnuts
  • 1 grated apple
  • 4 tablespoons cognac
  • 4 tablespoons vinegar
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange

Instructions:

Let’s start with the filling so it can cool in time.

  1. Heat the olive oil and sauté the ground beef for 6-7 minutes until browned.
  2. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it becomes translucent.
  3. Add the pine nuts, dried apricots, chestnuts, and apple. Mix well.
  4. Pour the vinegar and cognac and let the liquid evaporate.
  5. Add a little orange zest.
  6. Season with salt and pepper at the end.
  7. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
  8. Pour orange juice over the filling.
  9. Mix the filling and let it cool slightly before using it to fill the Christmas rolls.

Now, for the stuffed chicken:

  1. Prepare the chicken fillets by opening them with a sharp knife to increase their surface area.
  2. Pound them with a mallet or a heavy object to flatten and make room for  stuffing.
  3. Grease the fillets and season them well with salt and pepper from all sides.
  4. Distribute two tablespoons of the filling on each fillet.
  5. Roll them into a log and tie each roll tightly to prevent them from opening during cooking.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or pot with a thick base.
  7. On high heat, brown the rolls on all sides for 2-3 minutes each. Be careful, the chicken rolls should brown evenly for the best result.
  8. Add the dried fruits and thyme.
  9. Pour over vinegar and cognac.
  10. Let the liquid evaporate completely to trap the aromas.
  11. Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat to cook the fillet and glaze the thick sauce. If desired, add a piece of cold butter, about the size of a walnut, to give some extra shine to the sauce.
  12. Stir the pan to melt the butter with the heat of the other ingredients.
  13. Cut each fillet diagonally and serve, garnishing with dried fruits and a thick glazy sauce.
  14. Enjoy!