Miguel Maestre’s Chicken & Chorizo Ballotine

This dish is a great way to give humble chicken thighs restaurant-quality presentation. When rolling the chicken with the foil, make sure it is very tight and there are no perforations, so that no water gets in to dry out the chicken during the poaching process. The filling is very easy to make and the chorizo brings so much flavour. Panko breadcrumbs - freeze-dried Japanese white breadcrumbs - are the best as they don't absorb as much oil as other varieties so stay nice and crunchy. They're worth every penny!This dish is a great way to give humble chicken thighs restaurant-quality presentation. When rolling the chicken with the foil, make sure it is very tight and there are no perforations, so that no water gets in to dry out the chicken during the poaching process. The filling is very easy to make and the chorizo brings so much flavour. Panko breadcrumbs - freeze-dried Japanese white breadcrumbs - are the best as they don't absorb as much oil as other varieties so stay nice and crunchy. They're worth every penny!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large chicken thigh fillets, skin on
• 8 thin slices of jamon or pancetta
• 2 chorizo sausages
• 2 field mushrooms, halved
• 40 g butter
• chopped chives, to serve

WHITE BEAN SALAD

• 400 g canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 golden shallot, finely diced
• bunch of chives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Manzanilla olives, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons Japanese Mayonnaise (Kewpie)
• Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven 200°C (fan-forced).
2. Using a meat cleaver or rolling pin, flatten the thicker parts of the chicken fillets. Don't overdo it - you just want to give them a more uniform thickness.
3. Place a large sheet of foil on your bench and top with a sheet of baking paper. Place the jamon or pancetta on the paper, slightly overlapping the slices, then arrange the chicken on top in a single layer, without overlapping.
4. Puree the chorizo and mushroom in a food processor, then spread the mixture evenly down the length of the chicken, leaving a thin border on the edges. Using the foil and paper to help you, roll the chicken into a tight cylinder.Pinch and twist the ends like a lolly wrapper so the parcel is completely sealed. It's very important that no water can get in during poaching so if you are in any doubt at all, add another layer of foil and twist very tightly to make sure it's properly sealed.
5. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, add the chicken parcel and poach gently for 25-30 minutes or until just cooked through and warm to the touch.
6. Remove from the pan and take off the foil and paper wrapping. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over high heat and pan-fry the chicken so the jamon or pancetta is nice and crispy, basting regularly with the butter. Leave to rest in the pan while you make the salad.
7. To make the white bean salad, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Feast by Miguel Maestre, published by Plum, RRP $39.99, photography by Jeremy Simons.