After cooking for 65 people, 2 appetizers + 4 courses meal , after needing 2 days to recover before going back to the real life still sore, I am back on my beloved blog. 

My problem is that , I always buy far too much food. I shared the left overs with the staff helping me, with my client, a guest who wanted some more to take away for her boyfriend …… Still my freezer is about to explode as I don’t want to waste, I ate some left overs for more than a week, polenta and green beans EVERYDAY ! I froze everything that could fit in my freezer on the top of what I already had. 

I wanted to share this paupiettes recipe. No need to precise that it took me ages to roll 70 paupiettes for my event but if it’s just for a few people it worth rolling a bit as the result is great. 

Paupiettes are a typical French dish, made of veal or beef fine slice (it can also be chicken if you want to stay on a budget) that you roll and bundle with a string after garnishing it. Very often made in Normandy and  cooked with butter of course, we also make paupiettes in the south of France, giving them another name : ‘Alouette sans tête’.

The stuffing is usually made of pork  and veal or pork and beef with prunes, apricots, herbs and seasoning.
I adapted mine as my client wanted a provençal/Italian meal. 

I tried with sundried tomatoes, tapenade, bacon and parmesan cheese.  Then I made a sauce with lemon and thyme. The result was divine and the cicadas started singing. 

 

Chicken paupiettes and lemon/thyme sauce 

serves 4

Ingredients : 

Paupiettes :

• 4 chicken breast
• 100g/3.52oz of black olives paste
• 50g/1.76oz of sundried tomatoes
• 50g/1.76oz of bacon slices, diced
• 50g/1.76oz of parmesan cheese grated
• Salt and pepper

Sauce :

• 100g/3.52oz of butter
• Juice of half a lemon
• A few sprigs of thyme

 

Method :

If your chicken breasts are a bit thick, flatten them with a mortar (a rolling pin will do too), I didn’t flatten mine but it’s easier to roll if they are thin. Salt and pepper on each sides.
Spread your tapenade, add a few sundried tomatoes and bacon and parmesan cheese. I didn’t add any salt on my garnish as bacon is already salty, just a bit of black pepper.

Roll your breast and bundle it with a string special roast, if not string you can use wooden skewers soaked in water a few minutes before to avoid the burning in the pan. 

If you don’t tie up properly, it’s ok, if it’s not perfectly closed on each sides it’s ok too as parmesan cheese doesn’t really melt. I tried once with mozarella cheese and those who were not bundled properly lost the mozarella during the cooking process and the paupiettes were a bit dry.
With those ones, no risk. 

Once they are all bundled, put a pan on medium heat with oil and a bit of butter and brown your paupiettes on each sides, adding a bit of salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven at 180°C/350°F.

When they are golden brown but still not cooked inside, put them in the oven for around 15min. While your paupiettes are finishing cooking, make the sauce by melting the butter with the thyme sprigs, then add the lemon juice with salt and pepper. 

Pour your sauce on the paupiettes and serve hot with polenta and or ratatouille.