Chicken Breast Stuffed With Spinach And Ricotta

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cleaned of all fat and pounded to about 1/4 inch inch thick
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 quart cold water
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese, drained overnight in a collander in the fridge
• 1/4 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and complely dried out with a good wringing in a clean kitchen towel
• 1 ounce grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• salt and pepper
• dried red pepper flakes
• garlic powder (optional)
• 2 cups flour, seasoned with
• salt and pepper
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (plus more for batches)

Recipe

• 1 mix the salt and sugar with water, soak pounded chicken breasts for about an hour.
• 2 drain, dry and lay flat between sheets of parchment.
• 3 while the chicken is brining prepare the filling by mixing all the filling ingredients in a bowl and seasoning to taste.
• 4 heat your oven to 325 degress f.
• 5 prepare a sheet pan with a large cooling rack on top.
• 6 lay out a large piece of parchment or wax paper, cut 12 pieces of butchers twine about 8" long.
• 7 place a heavy pan or cast iron skillet over medium/medium high heat, add two tablespoons of oil.
• 8 the oil should be just below the smoke point.
• 9 have a splatter guard nearby!
• 10 wisk milk and egg in bowl then pour into a deep plate.
• 11 place seasoned flour into a second deep plate.
• 12 working one breast at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, be sure to cover both sides.
• 13 sprinkle a heavy layer of bread crumbs on your parchment covered work surface.
• 14 drag 'finished side' of chicken through the egg wash and press down on the bread crumbs.
• 15 spread a generous amount of the filling on the chicken, about 1/8" thick or so.
• 16 gently roll and tuck the chicken, tie with two of the 8 inch lengths of butcher's twine.
• 17 lay to rest on the prepared cooling rack.
• 18 repeat with the other 5 breasts.
• 19 working 2 rolls at a time brown the chicken on all sides to a nice, golden brown.
• 20 place back on the cooling rack/sheet pan rig after browning.
• 21 repeat until complete.
• 22 place breasts in the pre-heated oven and cook until done.
• 23 about 170-175 degrees f, maybe 40 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.
• 24 let them sit uncovered for 5 minutes before cutting/serving.
• 25 the outside is nice and crisp, the inside is juicy and flavorful!
• 26 you'll prolly have extra filling, if you've been careful and have not contaminated the filling with raw chicken, it makes an excellent raviolli filling!