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Stuffed Spring Chicken in Fruit Sauce

17/11/2023

The stuffed spring chicken in fruit sauce is an elegant dish that combines the bold flavor of meat with the sweetness and acidity of fruits. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 4 cleaned spring chickens ready for stuffing
  • 200g of ground pork meat
  • 100g of stale bread
  • Milk, as needed to soak the bread
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
  • Nutmeg, to taste
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil
  • 1 apple
  • 1 pear
  • A handful of dried plums
  • 2 tablespoons of jam, preferably apricot
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • Chicken or vegetable broth, as needed

Preparation

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 180 °C.
  2. Soak the stale bread in milk until it becomes soft, then squeeze it and crumble it into a bowl.
  3. To the bowl, add the ground meat, egg, parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
  4. Stuff the spring chickens with this mixture, then sew the opening closed or secure it with toothpicks.
  5. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil and sear the stuffed spring chickens on all sides until they become golden brown.
  6. Transfer the spring chickens to a baking dish and add the glass of white wine. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, basting them occasionally with broth to prevent them from drying out too much.
  7. In the meantime, prepare the fruit sauce. Cut up the apple and pear into pieces, removing the cores. Put the cut fruit in a pot with a bit of water, add the dried plums and apricot jam.
  8. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit falls apart, forming a fruit compote. If necessary, add a bit of water to prevent sticking.
  9. When the spring chickens are ready, remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Blend the fruit sauce with an immersion mixer until smooth.
  10. Serve the spring chickens either halved or whole, accompanied by the warm fruit sauce.

The sweetness of the fruit pleasantly contrasts with the savory taste of the stuffing and the meat, creating a dish for true gourmands.

Curiosity

This recipe is a classic example of how cooking can be creative and sophisticated. The pairing of meat and fruit is not unusual in Italian cuisine, where the use of fresh and seasonal ingredients is favored, complementing each other in terms of flavors and textures.