Chicken breast stuffed with farinheira
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Farinheira I prepared these chicken breast parcels using the filling of a Portuguese sausage called farinheira. It is a product made from flour and pork fat, used both as a filling for meat and on its own, grilled or baked. It has a soft texture that easily transforms into a creamy consistency when mixed with a little warm water. The chicken is first seared in a pan and then finished in the oven, ultimately served with a thickened sauce and creamy spinach. Quick Info Active preparation time: about 25-30 minutes Chilling time: a few hours Cooking time: about 37 minutes, excluding side dish preparation time Total time: approximately 3-5 hours, depending on how long the meat is chilled Servings: 4 Difficulty: medium Recipe type: main course with chicken, Portuguese filling, and spinach side Ingredients For the chicken breast 4 chicken breast halves 1 farinheira sausage Salt Pepper Garlic powder Olive oil 1 cube of butter 1/2 cup of white wine 1 packet of meat base sauce 200 ml cold water, for preparing the sauce from the packet A pinch of nutmeg, for the sauce For the spinach side 400 g fresh spinach Olive oil Butter Salt 2 cloves of garlic, crushed A splash of liquid cream 2 tablespoons of heavy cream Preparation Method 1. Prepare the chicken breast Make a slit in each chicken breast to form a pocket in the middle. Do not cut all the way through so the filling stays inside. Season the pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then chill them for a few hours. This step helps to flavor the meat and makes the preparation easier. 2. Prepare the farinheira Place the farinheira sausage in a bowl of warm water. Once softened, remove the casing and scoop out the filling. Put the filling in a bowl and gently mix it with a wooden spoon. Gradually add a few drops of water until you achieve a thick cream-like consistency. You don’t need much water; the filling should remain thick enough to be stuffed into the meat. 3. Stuff the chicken breast Fill each piece of meat with farinheira, ensuring there are no large gaps inside. You don’t need to level the filling too much, but be careful not to overfill it so that it spills out when closing the meat. Secure the parcels with toothpicks. Check the edges to ensure the filling is well sealed inside. 4. Sear the meat in the pan Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. Place the chicken pieces in and add the butter cubes around them. Sear the meat on all sides until lightly browned. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this stage or overly browned, as it will continue cooking in the oven. 5. Bake the chicken breast Remove the meat from the skillet and place it in an oven-safe dish. Pour the remaining fat from the skillet over the chicken, then add the white wine. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in a preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes, covered. After this time, remove the foil and continue baking for about 20 minutes. Turn the pieces over during this second interval to ensure they cook and brown evenly. 6. Prepare the sauce Remove the meat from the dish again and pour the sauce formed during baking into a deeper skillet. Put the contents of the sauce packet into a bowl and add 200 ml of cold water. Whisk well until the powder dissolves evenly. Pour the mixture into the skillet and add the chicken pieces. Gently shake the skillet from time to time to ensure the sauce coats the meat and doesn’t stick. Let everything cook for about 2 minutes. The sauce will thicken very quickly. Grate a little nutmeg on top, then cover the skillet with a lid and turn off the heat. For this recipe, I used game sauce, as it complements the flavor of the farinheira filling. You can also use mushroom sauce or another type of meat base sauce. 7. Prepare the spinach In a skillet, add a little olive oil and the crushed garlic. Add the fresh spinach leaves and gently stir until they wilt. Season with a little salt, then add the liquid cream and the two tablespoons of heavy cream. Increase the heat and stir until the cream reduces and the spinach reaches a creamy consistency. There’s no need to cook the leaves for too long. As soon as they wilt and the sauce begins to thicken, the side dish is ready. Why I make this recipe often It’s a different take on simple chicken breast and makes good use of farinheira, which isn’t always easy to incorporate into regular dishes. The filling is already flavorful and doesn’t require much seasoning, and the sauce from the pan comes together quickly after baking. The recipe is also flexible regarding the side dish. Creamy spinach pairs well with the sauce, but the chicken breast can also be served with golden potatoes, mashed potatoes, or fries. Tips Carefully slit the chicken breast so the pocket is deep enough for the filling, but without cutting all the way through. When mixing the farinheira filling, add water gradually. If you add too much at once, the filling can become too soft. Make sure the toothpicks are securely fastened before searing. Remove them before serving and check carefully that none remain in the meat. The searing in the pan should be brief. Its role is to add a little color and flavor, not to fully cook the chicken breast. The powdered sauce thickens in about two minutes, so there’s no need to leave it on the heat for long. Substitutes Farinheira is a specific ingredient for this recipe and has no direct substitute. If it’s unavailable, the dish won’t have the same taste or texture, so it’s best to use it when it can be obtained. For the sauce, you can use a packet of game sauce, mushroom sauce, or another meat base sauce. The amount of water mentioned for preparation is 200 ml. The basic recipe does not indicate another side dish instead of fresh spinach, but the dish can be served separately with golden potatoes, mashed potatoes, or fries. Variations You can change the type of sauce from the packet while keeping the same method: it is first dissolved in cold water, then poured into the skillet over the meat and the remaining cooking liquid. The side dish can remain simple, just with spinach, olive oil, garlic, and cream. For a heartier meal, the chicken can be served alongside potatoes prepared to your liking. Serving Ideas Serve each chicken breast piece with sauce on top and a portion of creamy spinach on the side. If you use potatoes, the sauce can also be poured over them. Before serving, remove all toothpicks from the meat. They are easier to remove while the parcels are still intact. Frequently Asked Questions Can I prepare the chicken breast a few hours in advance? Yes. The meat can be seasoned and chilled for a few hours before cooking. Stuffing and securing with toothpicks can be done before searing, but the meat should be kept chilled until cooking begins. Why is water mixed with farinheira? The sausage filling becomes easier to spread and insert into the pocket made in the chicken breast. Water should be added in small amounts, just until the texture becomes like a thick cream. Can I use a different sauce than game sauce? Yes. The recipe used game sauce, but mushroom sauce or another meat base sauce can also be used. Water is added according to the indicated method, which is 200 ml of cold water to the packet contents. How long should the chicken be in the oven? The chicken is baked for 15 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then for about 20 minutes without foil. During this second stage, the pieces are turned over. What can I serve the stuffed chicken breast with? The side dish in the recipe is fresh spinach with garlic and cream. You can also use golden potatoes, mashed potatoes, or fries. Nutritional Values The values are estimates and can vary based on the amount of oil, butter, cream, sauce, and the size of the chicken breast pieces. The calculation is made for one serving of four. A serving of chicken breast stuffed with farinheira and spinach can have approximately 650-800 kcal, 55-65 g protein, 35-45 g fat, and 15-25 g carbohydrates. The greatest variation comes from farinheira, butter, cream, and the packet sauce. If the dish is served with potatoes, the carbohydrate content and total calories increase. Storage and Reheating Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is best consumed within 1-2 days, as the chicken breast can dry out, and the filling and sauce can change texture after storage. Reheat the meat along with the sauce over low heat, covered, to prevent drying out. The spinach can be heated separately, also over low heat. If the dish is reheated too much, the sauce can thicken excessively, and the chicken breast can become tougher.
Preparation
- We make incisions in the pieces of meat, creating a pocket in the middle. We season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We let them chill for a few hours before cooking. - The farinheira is placed in a pot of warm water and then the skin is removed along with the filling. We gently mix it with a wooden spoon, adding a few drops of water until it becomes a thick cream. - We generously fill the pieces of breast with farinheira and seal them with toothpicks. - In a large skillet, we heat olive oil and add the pieces of meat. We put a few cubes of butter around and fry the meat on all sides until slightly browned. - We remove the meat to a heat-resistant dish and pour the remaining fat from the skillet over it, adding white wine and covering with aluminum foil. We place it in a well-preheated oven for 15 minutes covered, then remove the foil. We leave it for another 20 minutes, turning it to the other side as well. - In a high-sided skillet, we take out the meat again and pour the sauce from the dish it was in the oven. We take the sauce powder from the packet into a bowl and add cold water (200 ml), whisking it. I chose a sauce for game. It goes very well with the filling. But if you find other types in the supermarket (like mushrooms, etc.), you can use those. We pour it over the meat and shake it occasionally. We let it simmer for just 2 minutes. The sauce will thicken very quickly. We grate a little nutmeg. We cover with a lid and turn off the heat. - I made spinach as a side dish. I put olive oil in the skillet with 2 crushed garlic cloves. I added the fresh leaves to the skillet, stirring gently until they wilt. We add a little salt and then liquid cream. I also added two tablespoons of sour cream. We mix and cook on high heat until the cream reduces and becomes creamy. You can make golden potatoes, mashed potatoes, or fried potatoes as a side dish.
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