So … last night’s dinner went really well in case you’re wondering.

It had me in the kitchen for two days! OK slight exaggeration, it wasn’t all cooking. There was also the shopping, and the thinking. But the kitchen therapy was successful as usual! Between the appetizers, first course, main meal, and dessert I had my hands full, and my heart and head had to go along to help out.

I will only be posting the main dish for now. Believe me, it needs all the attention it can get!

The stuffing I used for this recipe is my traditional turkey stuffing that I have been using for years and years and years. It is super delicious as is, and you can vary it by adding pine nuts to it, or small pieces of chestnuts if you wish. Just please do not add anything sweet to it, like dried cranberries or raisins or whatever. It will totally ruin it, OK?!

This is a bit of a fiddly recipe, so I added as many pictures as I could to aid with the description. As usual just trust your guts and go with whatever feels right.

Ingredients:

500 grs chicken breast fillets

500 grs chicken legs fillets

and for the Stuffing:

4 fresh butcher sausages, skin removed

(I used 2 beef & 2 chicken because I like to experiment, but usually I use beef. Unfortunately I forgot to weigh before using but they are on the large side. I promise when I make it again I will come back to this recipe and add the weight. )

1 large onion

a good fat bunch of fresh sage (the leaves may look a little small, but it’s fresh from our garden & it smells delicious!!!)

8 ready toasted bread slices (or you can toast your own, just make it crunchy). The weight equivalent is about 100grs

 

Method:

Chop the onion using a food processor, it needs to be on the mushy side

clean the sage discarding all the stems and keeping just the leaves

run the leaves through the food processor

sautee the onions in a little olive oil till soft

add the chopped sage and continue sauteing just a little longer

add some water (or white wine) & half a chicken bouillon cube

stir well

crunch the toast ruffly with your hands till coarse crouton size (as in picture)

add the onion sage mixture (still warm) and mix well with a spoon

add the skinned sausages and work it well with your hands until thoroughly mixed and resembling a hamburger mix

set aside

now the fiddly part!!

cut the chicken breasts into 1/2cm (¼ inch) thick fillets. (if necessary you can pound between 2 grease proof sheets of paper to get the right thickness)

spread open a good size grease proof paper on your counter

arrange the chicken pieces “slightly” overlapping on the paper forming a rectangle

spread half the sausage mixture working delicately in small batches so as not to dislodge the chicken fillets from one another

start from the side near you, and using the grease proof paper as help, start rolling tightly like a swiss roll, pushing from the sides in, and shaping with your fingers (on the paper), making sure it all stays together

now you have a roll that resembles a loaf

lift with the aid of the paper and place in a loaf pan

trim the paper

sprinkle with salt & pepper

add a few pats of butter and you’re ready

repeat with the chicken thighs

bake your two loaf pans in a 180 centigrade pre-heated oven (with fan)

it should take no more than 1 to 1 ½ hours. Check often, draining the liquid & reserving separately for gravy. I drained it a total of 4 times. You will know its enough when you run out of liquid!!!

I rely very much on instinct to judge when its done, be careful to not over cook!

Let cool lightly on the chopping board, then slice with a very sharp knife

serve with roast potatoes on the side and a drizzle of gravy

Enjoy!