Chicken And Spinach Wheels

This dish has been the centrepiece of my dinner parties many times, and is remembered by everyone who has seen or tried it.

Although it looks quite elaborate, I have managed to adapt the recipe to make it surprisingly easy and relatively quick  to make.

Both the tomato sauce and the spinach filling can be flavoured with more or less spice to suit your personal taste.

Ingredients

• 4 large boneless chicken fillets without skin
• Marinade
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp of crushed garlic
• Half a tea spoon of salt
• Marinade the chicken fillets and leave overnight.

Filling

• 250g fresh spinach leaves
• 125g ricotta cheese
• 1 crushed green chilli
• Seasoning

Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium sliced onion
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 crushed green chillies
• 500g jar of  tomato pasta sauce
• Basil leaves to garnish.

Method

1. For the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a pan and add the onion. Saute on a high flame for 5 minutes until golden.
2. Add garlic and green chillies & cook for further 5 mins.
3. Add the pasta sauce and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on a low flame for 15 -20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: wash and drain the spinach then chop finely. Add the chilli and cook in a dry pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Cool slightly and squeeze out any juice. Mix with ricotta and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Without cutting all the way through, butterfly the chicken breast by making a long horizontal slit through its thickness. Open it out and place between 2 sheets of cling film. Flatten by pounding gently with a rolling pin.
7. Spread the filling in the centre of the chicken leaving a 1 inch border, then roll up each piece like a swiss roll.
8. Put 1 chicken fillet at a time onto a sheet of oiled foil and roll tightly into it twisting the sides to secure it in place.
9. Fill a wide shallow pan with water (approx 2 inch deep); bring to a gentle boil. Add the wrapped chicken into a single layer and boil gently for 10 minutes. Using metal tongs, turn over and boil for another 10 minutes.
10. Once cooked, carefully remove from water, and unwrap (it is best to use rubber gloves). Using a sharp knife slice diagonally into thick pieces and arrange on a platter over the sauce. Garnish with basil.