Nothing quite connotes a traditional Holiday dish than the chicken relleno. Back in the day when turkey wasn’t widely available in our shores, a stuffed bird still had to make it to the table. This dish also has a reputation for being a tedious job, thereby making its seasonal availability all that much more rewarding when you do have it. This recipe celebrates the chicken relleno but takes up only a quarter of the time it takes to make a traditional one, and loses none of the flavor. If that’s not having your cake and eating it, too, I don’t know what is.
Chicken Relleno
- 4 chicken leg quarters (large)
- 1 lemon, sliced
Stuffing
- 250g ground pork, lean
- 1 canVienna sausage, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 40g carrots, gratted
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tsp onion, minced
- 1 tbsp cheese, grated
- salt and pepper
1 Debone chicken quarters leaving skin and meat intact.
2 Season inside with salt and pepper. Combine all stuffing ingredients.
3 Divide stuffing into 4 deboned quarters.
4 Secure the end of chicken with string or thread.
5 On a oven proof pan, place slices of lemon and place chicken on top.
Season skin with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
6 Bake in pre heated oven (375˚F) for 20-25 minutes or until skin is brown.
7 To prepare gravy, remove chicken and lemon from pan.
8 Over medium heat, Add a a little flour. Pour chicken stock and stir until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
9 Transfer chicken to serving plate and serve with natural gravy.
Image credits: Chef Dino Datu