Marinated Chicken Breasts stuffed with Sage and Mozzarella
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
A handful of fresh sage leaves
4 tsp butter room temp.
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
A bottle of Chardonnay (see wine-of-the-week)
1 onion
Marinade:
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
2 lemons (Juice of 1 lemon, rind of 2 lemons)
1 tsp. sea salt-freshly cracked black pepper (preferred) if not, ground black pepper will suffice
1) Butterfly the chicken breasts (you can also buy the breasts fillet-saves time): With a sharp knife, butterfly the breast in half horizontally from the thickest part of each breast to within a 1/2 inch of the other side. Open the breast like a book and place on it between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the breast lightly with a cleaver or knife to even out the thickness
2) Marinade the chicken breast: In a medium zip lock bag add the chicken, salt/pepper, olive oil, crushed garlic,lemon juice and grated lemon rind. Make sure the air is sealed to get the marinade juices mixed in the chicken. Keep refrigerated for at least an hour.
3) Prepare the sage butter: With a fork, mix together the butter, cayenne pepper, 1-2 sage leaves (chopped up), and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well and form a log onto a waxed paper or saran wrap. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
4) Take the chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. place the chicken on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay 1 slice of mozzarella cheese and 2 sage leaves on one side of the open flattened chicken breast and close (you may want to insert a few toothpicks to seal the breast, but it’s not really necessary. Sprinkle sea salt, black pepper and grated lemon rind on both sides of the chicken breast.
5) pre-heat the oven to 350 deg. and heat a pan or skillet on medium-high, add 2 tbsps. of olive oil to the pan. Place the chicken (presentation side down) and sear for 5 min. Remove from heat and carefully remove the chicken and place on a lined baking pan in the oven to complete the cooking process. (5-10 mins.) Be sure not to over cook the chicken. Check for doneness of the chicken by cutting the centre of the breast (no pink=good). Take the chicken out of the oven and cover with foil. Heat the frying pan and de-glaze with a generous splash of Chardonnay a handful of chopped onions and add a knob of the sage butter. Stir and remove from heat.
*This dish is good with chive garlic mashed potatoes or pasta. Place a knob of sage butter on the chicken breast and with the extra butter, toss it into cooked pasta or add to potatoes. Garnish with fresh chopped sage and Voila!
Wine of the Week: 20 Bees Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is unoaked and has a gentle hint of honey and apricot on the palette, it finishes with a burst of citrus. Uncomplicated smooth and not too dry.
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