Chicken Breasts stuffed with Coriander-Walnut Sauce

 

A simple, powerful sauce is rolled up into flattened grilled chicken breasts. Extra sauce can be served on the side. These chicken breast rolls also make a great grab-and-go snack the next day.

I made this as a first today for lunch, under the observation of friend Roleen Moodley, the sauce added piquantness to otherwise bland chicken breasts, with an end result of a moist and flavoursome, home-cooked-goodness-of-a-chicken breast on a plate.


Cooking Tip: Since breast meat is low in fat, it tends to get dry and tough fast as it cooks. Tenderising by pounding flattens the chicken and exposes more surface area so that it needs less time to cook through. When rolling them up, as in this recipe, you do need to make sure they cook long enough to cook through to the inner roll.


SAUCE
1 cup lightly roasted raw walnuts
1-2 cloves garlic
small handful of fresh coriander
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

CHICKEN
2 skinless, boneless half chicken breasts
Touch of olive oil
Sprinkling of salt and pepper

Here's How

• Add all of the sauce ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth’ish. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

• Heat the griller or pan on a stove top to medium heat.

• Cut a slit through the side of the chicken breast creating a double span. You may gently pound each of the breasts with a kitchen mallet (the bottom of a wine bottle or rolling over cling-wrap with rolling pin works well) until about 1.5cm thick.

• Rub each side with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Lay the “shiny” side down.
• Spread a thin layer of sauce over each breast. Roll into logs, being careful not to allow too much sauce to ooze out the sides. Pin the rolls closed with a couple of toothpicks to keep them together while cooking.

• Place the chicken rolls onto the hot grill, cover, and cook each side for 5-6 minutes, until no areas of the meat are pink in color. You may also pan fry with 1-2 tblsp of olive oil.

 

• Serve warm or chilled with the remaining sauce and a crisp salad, veggie chips or roasted vegetables.  A good accompaniment is creamy cauliflower mash.