Recipe for Poultry Ballotine with Chanterelles and Hazelnuts ~ Plum and Port Sauce

Plum sauce: In a saucepan, sauté the shallot, add the chopped plum, mix well, and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Then add the fortified wine and the yeast extract, and let it simmer gently, stirring regularly, until the plum is well broken down and the liquid has reduced by half.

Blend using an immersion blender and then strain through a fine sieve. Return to the heat, add a splash of cream, I didn't measure, it's up to you to see what you prefer, I didn't add much. Cook again at a gentle simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, then set aside.

The filling with chanterelles: If you have a food processor, it can be useful. Finely chop the mushrooms, onion, and shallot. Sauté them in a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil, remembering to season with salt and pepper. Once this mixture is well dried out, add the chopped parsley and chopped hazelnuts. Set aside.

Breaded chicken ballotine: The fine chicken stuffing: Blend the chicken fillets with the egg white, gradually add the cream in three parts, and incorporate the finely chopped herbs, season to taste. Spread the stuffing on a sheet of plastic wrap in a rectangular shape, place the sautéed mushrooms and nuts in the center, and roll it up. For these proportions, you will need to make 2 or 3 small ballottines. My ballotine was too large; I had to cut it in half to fit it in my saucepan. A smaller format cut into diagonal sections will also be much more aesthetically pleasing for presentation. Carefully roll the ballotine and securely close the ends to prevent water from entering during cooking.

Poaching: Prepare a large pot of boiling water. Poach the package in the simmering water for 15 minutes.

The coating: Once the parcel has cooled, carefully remove it from the plastic wrap and coat it. Prepare three baths for the parcel: a flour bath, a beaten egg bath, and a breadcrumb bath with ground roasted hazelnuts. First, roll the parcel in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the hazelnut powder. Roll it again in the flour, then in the egg, and lastly in the breadcrumbs.

Prepare a skillet with a layer of olive oil, heat it, and cook the parcel on all sides until browned, adding more olive oil during cooking if needed. Once cooked, let them cool.

Plating: I forgot to take pictures of this step, but you should be just fine without them. When serving, cut into slices or angled sections if you made small packages, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and put in the oven at 100°C for about 15-20 minutes. Serve with the hot plum sauce and, for example, a crushed potato with vegetables or homemade tagliatelle.

Finally, find more tips and step-by-step images on the blog.