Christmas chicken roulade stuffed with ricotta, spinach, and cranberries with creamy white wine sage sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Lightly oil a baking dish or sheet pan with a little of the olive oil.

2. 2

   Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and half of the minced garlic; cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach wilts and the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a strainer and gently press out excess moisture. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   In a bowl, combine the ricotta, sautéed spinach, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the chopped sage, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper until evenly mixed.

4. 4

   Place the butterflied chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and gently pound them until evenly thick. Season both sides with the remaining salt, remaining black pepper, and the sweet paprika.

5. 5

   Spread the ricotta filling over each chicken breast, leaving a 2 cm / 3/4 inch border around the edges. Roll each breast up tightly and place seam-side down. If needed, secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.

6. 6

   Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or regular skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken rolls on all sides for 5 to 6 minutes total. If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the rolls to the prepared baking dish.

7. 7

   Bake the chicken rolls for 18 to 22 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F, or until the center reaches 74 °C / 165 °F. Remove from the oven, cover loosely, and let rest for 8 minutes.

8. 8

   While the chicken bakes, make the sauce. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly reduced.

9. 9

   Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and the remaining chopped sage. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust with an extra pinch of salt or pepper if needed.

10. 10

    Slice each chicken roll into thick medallions and serve hot with the creamy white wine sage sauce spooned over the top.