We may not be used to the idea of a warm hummus but in this instance it goes perfectly with the hot chicken breast and the chicken jus
Ingredients (for 2)
For the stuffed chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- 4 rushers of smoked back bacon
- 4-5 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 50g feta cheese
- A small handful of pistachio nuts, crushed
- A pinch of oregano
- A pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Knob of butter
For the chicken jus
- 300ml chicken stock
- 50g of butter, cut in small cubes
- 1 tsp grape molasses
For the asparagus
- A bunch of fresh asparagus
- Sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp vegetable bouillon
- Knob of butter
For the warm cannellini hummus
- 1 tin of cannellini beans (400g)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- A few thyme leaves
- A squeeze of lemon
To serve
- A few toasted, crushed pistachio nuts
- A few thyme leaves
- Thyme or other edible flowers if you have them
Method
Preheat your oven to 1800C .
Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in a food bag or between baking paper and flatten with a wooden mallet. You want to aim towards an oblong shape as much as possible.
Cut two large pieces of kitchen foil. Place in the centre of each piece of foil two slices of the bacon and lay the chicken breasts over them in the same direction. Season the chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper (bacon is salty so don’t overdo the salt).
In a small bowl, crumble the feta and mix with the chopped sundried tomatoes, chilli flakes, crushed pistachios and oregano. Mix everything and share equally between the flattened chicken breasts.
Roll tightly the chicken breast using the foil to help you make a sausage shape twisting the ends.
Place on a baking tin and transfer to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven, make the cannellini bean hummus.
Place a pan on a medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and toss for a couple of minutes to release their aromas. Add the oil and the chopped shallot and cook for 2-3 more minutes till the shallot is translucent. Strain the cannellini beans but reserve the liquid. Add the cannellini beans to the pan and toss to coat with all the flavours and cook for a minute. Transfer to a small food processor and blitz to a smooth puree adding some of the reserved liquid mixed with a little cold water as you go along. For a smoother finish, you can pass the puree through a sieve or leave as it for the benefit of the fibre in the skins. Add a squeeze of lemon, season and Keep warm.
To make the chicken jus, put the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer till reduced to 1/3 of the original quantity. If you don’t have home made stock, you can make it by dissolving a chicken stock cube in 300ml water. Start adding the pieces of cold butter whisking all the time until the jus is thick and glossy. Finish by adding the grape molasses and giving it a good stir.
For the asparagus, wash and snap to cut the hard parts of each spear. This will happen naturally if you just bend the spear. Keep the hard bits in a bag for stocks and soups. Put a deep frying pan large enough to fit all the asparagus in a single layer on the heat. Place the spears next to each other and add enough water to cover them. Sprinkle the vegetable bouillon over them, add the knob of butter, thyme and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook till the asparagus are tender but not too soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve or leave in the poaching liquid if necessary to keep warm.
Toast the pistachio nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes shaking the pan all the time. Put in a food bag and crush gently with a rolling pin.
To finish the chicken, a few minutes before serving, unwrap and brown all over in some hot oil with a knob of butter. Rest for a few minutes before carving into 1.5cm thick slices.
To serve, put a generous dollop of the cannellini hummus on each plate. Draw half of it with a large spoon away so as to create a bit of a base for the chicken pieces to sit one. Add the asparagus,drizzle the jus over everything and sprinkle with the toasted pistachio nuts.