Mushroom-Apple Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups with Pan Sauce and Apple-Fennel Salad

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery from the heart, finely chopped
1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, whipped clean and finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1 red apple, such as Fuji or Red Delicious, cored and finely chopped
A dash poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (eyeball it)
1/4 cup (about one handful) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided

1 cup store-bought stuffing cubes, your favorite brand and flavor
3/4 cup chicken stock, warmed, plus additional as needed
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
8 chicken cutlets
1 cup shredded aged sharp white cheddar
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine (eyeball it)
1 cup chicken stock (eyeball it)
2 bulbs fennel, fronds removed and roughly chopped, bulb cored and very thinly sliced
1 green apple, cored and thinly sliced

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Start by preparing the stuffing for the chicken cutlets: Place a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms to the pan along with some salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes. Add the apple, poultry seasoning, mustard, parsley and lemon zest to the pan and give it a good toss. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the stuffing cubes. Add the chicken stock to the pan in batches until it reaches the consistency you like (I like mine to just barely hold together without being too wet). Let the stuffing cool for a couple of minutes while you prepare the chicken cutlets.

Lay out the chicken cutlets with the thin end closest to you. Sprinkle cheese evenly over each breast. Divide the cooled stuffing into 8 equal portions, place one portion on the 1/2 of the cutlet closet to you. Fold the opposite end of the stuffing over, enclosing the cheese and stuffing into a pocket. Use a toothpick to close up the edges and season the outsides with salt and pepper.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Sear the chicken in the hot skillet until golden brown but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Remove the browned chicken to a plate and melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the shallots to the butter and cook them until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock to the pan, bring it up to a bubble and return the browned chicken to the skillet. Continue to cook the stuffing pockets until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has reduced somewhat, 4-5 minutes.

While the chicken is finishing cooking, grab a large salad bowl and toss together the sliced fennel, fennel fronds, sliced apples and arugula. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon over the salad, then drizzle it with about 1 tablespoon EVOO and season it with salt and pepper. Toss the salad to evenly coat it in dressing and top it off by shaving slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top with a vegetable peeler. Serve each person two chicken roll-ups topped with some of the pan sauce and a side of salad.