Spanish Goat Cheese Stuffed Free-range Chicken Breast Recipe

Prepare chicken breasts

Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet or heavy skillet, gently pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness, keeping edges intact.

Make stuffing

In a bowl, combine goat cheese, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped capers, chopped basil, smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix until homogeneous and easy to spread.

Stuff breasts

Season pounded chicken lightly with remaining salt and pepper. Spoon about 1.5 oz (roughly 3 tablespoons) of the goat cheese mixture onto one half of each flattened breast. Fold the other half over the stuffing to form a neat pocket. Use kitchen twine or toothpicks to secure seams and ends so filling doesn't leak.

Dredge and sear

Lightly dredge each stuffed breast in the flour, shaking off excess. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. When butter foams and is lightly browned, add chicken, seam-side down first. Sear 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer skillet to a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven and roast 10-12 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Remove from oven, tent with foil, and rest 5 minutes (carryover will bring to 165°F). Remove toothpicks/twine before serving.

Cook polenta

Bring buttermilk and water to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy, 20-25 minutes (coarse polenta may take longer). Stir in 3 tbsp butter, Parmesan, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper until smooth.

Set and cool

Pour the cooked polenta into a lightly oiled 8x8-inch baking dish (or line with parchment) and smooth the surface to roughly 1-inch thickness. Cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (can be chilled up to 4 hours).

Cut and brown cakes

Turn the chilled polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into four equal squares (or rounds). Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry polenta cakes 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a warm oven (or keep warm on a baking sheet) while finishing chicken and sauce.

Sauté vegetables

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until shimmering. Add sliced shallot and cook 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add mixed vegetables and thyme, season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just tender-crisp, 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Render pancetta

In the same skillet used to sear chicken (remove excess fat if more than 2 tbsp), add diced pancetta and cook over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 4-6 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pan.

Build sauce

Add the minced shallot to the rendered fat and cook 1-2 minutes until softened. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Reduce wine by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock and bring to a simmer; reduce until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Finish with balsamic, capers and butter

Stir in 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and the reserved crispy pancetta and 2 tbsp rinsed capers. Off the heat, whisk in the cold cubed butter, one piece at a time, to emulsify the sauce and give it a glossy sheen. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in chopped parsley and a small amount of lemon zest if using.

Plate sauce

Spoon a little of the balsamic butter pan sauce on each plate or on top of each polenta cake, then place sliced or whole stuffed chicken breast over it and finish with remaining sauce.

Assemble each plate with a polenta cake, a portion of sautéed vegetables, and a stuffed chicken breast. Spoon extra pancetta-balsamic butter pan sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Garnish with chopped parsley, a few capers, microgreens or baby arugula, and a light dusting of lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.