SPINACH SAUCE FOR CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Put the bacon rashers on a baking tray lined with foil and grill for 5 mins on each side until crisp. Leave to cool, then roughly chop.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or high-sided frying pan over a high heat. Season the chicken, then brown on both sides. Sprinkle over the oregano and add the garlic, then stir for another minute. Crumble in the stock cube and add 250ml water.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 15-20 mins, topping up with more water if the pan looks dry. Transfer the chicken to a board using tongs, then shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pan with the sauce.
• Whisk the flour into the cooking juices in the pan, turn up the heat and keep stirring until you have a smooth paste that clings to the chicken. Add 500ml water and the cream, then simmer, stirring occasionally for 8-10 mins, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 10 mins until it is just cooked but retains some bite. Drain.
• Add most of the parmesan, the mustard, spinach and half the chopped bacon to the sauce, then season to taste, if needed. Stir until the spinach has wilted, then stir in the cooked pasta.
• Tip the mixture into a large baking dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining parmesan and scatter over the top along with the tomatoes and remaining chopped bacon. The unbaked dish can now be frozen for up to two months (see below).
• To cook straightaway, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until the top is golden and crunchy and the sauce is bubbling.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• For the Stuffing: heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet
• Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute to soften the garlic and wilt the spinach
• Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature
• Reserve the cheese and bread and continue with the recipe
• Lay the chicken skin-side down on the work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper
• Spread the cool rice or spinach mixture evenly over the chicken
• If using the spinach stuffing, sprinkle the cheese and bread cubes on top of the spinach
• Roll the chicken up, tie with kitchen twine, and place in roasting pan
• Roast the ballottine for 1 hour
• Lift it from the pan and place it on a platter
• For the Sauce: Skim off and discard most of the fat from the drippings in the pan
• Add the water and wine to the drippings to deglaze the pan and heat over medium heat, stirring to loosen and melt the solidified juices
• Strain the juices into a saucepan
• Add the celery, onion, and carrot and bring to a boil over high heat
• Cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes
• Stir in the dissolved potato starch and soy sauce and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring, to thicken it
• Remove from the heat
• Transfer the ballottine to a cutting board and remove the twine
• Cut half of it into 4 or 5 slices, each about 1 inch thick
• Return the uncut half of the ballottine to the serving platter and arrange the cut slices in front of it
• Pour the sauce over and around the ballottine, garnish with the parsley, and serve
• Cut additional slices of ballottine as needed at the table