During a time when I wanted to use a whole chicken in a different way than the classic, I came across this recipe for chicken stuffed with pancakes and mushrooms. It's a bit more intricate, not the kind of dish for a rushed day, but the result is worth the time spent in the kitchen. If you've ever cooked pancakes and had to debone a chicken, the steps are not complicated to follow, just that it requires a bit of attention and patience.
Quick info
Total time: approx. 2 hours
Preparation time: 1 hour (depends on how quickly you clean the chicken and make the pancakes)
Baking time: 1 hour
Servings: 6-8 (depending on how each person slices)
Difficulty: medium to advanced, especially the deboning part
Recipe suitable for family meals or special occasions
Ingredients
For chicken and filling:
1 whole chicken (with skin, preferably between 1.2 and 1.5 kg)
400 g mushrooms
1 medium onion
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch of fresh parsley
paprika (for brushing at the end)
For pancakes:
2 eggs
200 ml sparkling water
200 ml milk
a pinch of salt
50 g butter (melted and cooled)
approximately 300 g flour
1/2 packet baking powder
For brushing the chicken before the oven:
salt
pepper
paprika
soft butter
Preparation method
1. Preparing the pancakes
1.1 Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat well.
1.2 Pour in the sparkling water, milk, and melted butter (after it has cooled), mixing after each ingredient to make everything homogeneous.
1.3 Incorporate the flour and baking powder. Mix until there are no lumps and the batter is slightly thicker than that for regular pancakes.
1.4 Heat a non-stick pan, greasing it with a little oil only for the first pancake.
1.5 Pour a ladle of batter and swirl the pan to make pancakes that are neither too thin nor too thick. Cook them on both sides.
1.6 Remove the pancakes to a plate. Continue until you finish the batter.
2. Deboning the chicken
2.1 Wash the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel, and place it on a cutting board, breast side up.
2.2 Use a small sharp knife. Start to separate the skin from the meat, being careful not to tear it. Go under the skin with your fingers and the knife, slowly.
2.3 Remove the meat from the breast, back, and ribs, keeping only the wings and lower thighs attached to the skin. Be careful not to puncture the skin; otherwise, the filling may leak out while baking.
2.4 All the removed meat should be washed, then boiled in salted water, just enough to cover it well.
2.5 After boiling, let the meat cool, then debone it completely and chop it finely.
3. Mushroom filling
3.1 Clean and finely chop the onion. Sauté it in a large pan with a little oil.
3.2 Clean the mushrooms, chop them into small cubes, and add them to the onion. Sauté until the liquid has evaporated.
3.3 Add the boiled and chopped chicken meat, mix. Season with salt, pepper, and possibly a little paprika.
3.4 Let it cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
3.5 Add the chopped fresh parsley. Let the filling cool down.
4. Assembling the chicken
4.1 Take each pancake and spread a thin layer of filling over its entire surface.
4.2 Roll the stuffed pancakes, like short rolls, or you can leave them flat, depending on their size.
4.3 Fill the chicken with these rolled pancakes, placing them one over the other, vertically, to fill the remaining skin. Don't force too hard, so the skin doesn't tear.
4.4 Once you finish filling, shape the chicken to resemble its original form as closely as possible.
4.5 If the skin has torn somewhere, sew it with kitchen needle and thread or secure it with toothpicks.
5. Preparing for the oven
5.1 Mix soft butter with salt, pepper, and paprika.
5.2 Brush the chicken all over.
5.3 Place baking paper in a tray, grease it with a little oil, and lay the chicken breast side up.
5.4 Bake in the preheated oven (180-200°C) for approximately 1 hour. Check towards the end if the skin is evenly browned.
6. Serving
6.1 After it has browned, let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice it to reveal the layers of pancake and filling.
Why I make this recipe often
I find it a good solution for days when you want something special and have a whole chicken. It's hearty, and the combination of pancakes and mushrooms with tender chicken meat is filling. You can make many servings, and the leftovers keep decently from one day to the next.
Tips and variations
Tips
Be patient while deboning, don't rush. An intact skin helps keep the filling from leaking out while baking.
If you don't have a needle and thread, toothpicks will work too.
Sauté the mushrooms until all the water evaporates, so the filling isn't too wet.
Substitutions
Any type of mushrooms can be used; they don't have to be champignon.
You can replace parsley with dill if you prefer.
Variations
You can add a little grated cheese to the filling, but not too much, so it doesn't become heavy.
Sometimes, you can also use sautéed spinach alongside the mushrooms.
Serving ideas
Cut into thick slices and serve with a green salad or pickles.
It’s also good cold, in thin slices as an appetizer.
Frequently asked questions
1. What do I do if the skin tears while deboning?
If you don't have an intact skin, sew it up as much as possible or use toothpicks. In the worst case, fill as much as the skin allows and adjust the appearance at the end.
2. How many pancakes should I make?
From the given batter, about 8-10 pancakes come out, enough to fill a medium-sized chicken.
3. Can I prepare the chicken a day in advance?
Yes, you can assemble the chicken and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can bake it the next day.
4. Can I use boneless chicken breast instead?
For this recipe, no, because you need the intact skin to be able to fill the chicken back.
5. Can I freeze the stuffed chicken?
I do not recommend it; the texture of the pancakes and mushrooms changes after freezing.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one serving (out of 8) has 370-420 kcal, with about 28 g of protein, 21 g of carbohydrates, and 18 g of fat. The values vary depending on how thick you make the pancakes and how much butter you use for brushing.
Storage and reheating
It keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 days. When reheating, use the oven at medium temperature, cover with foil if you don't want the skin to dry out. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave, as the pancakes may become rubbery.
Quick info
Total time: approx. 2 hours
Preparation time: 1 hour (depends on how quickly you clean the chicken and make the pancakes)
Baking time: 1 hour
Servings: 6-8 (depending on how each person slices)
Difficulty: medium to advanced, especially the deboning part
Recipe suitable for family meals or special occasions
Ingredients
For chicken and filling:
1 whole chicken (with skin, preferably between 1.2 and 1.5 kg)
400 g mushrooms
1 medium onion
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch of fresh parsley
paprika (for brushing at the end)
For pancakes:
2 eggs
200 ml sparkling water
200 ml milk
a pinch of salt
50 g butter (melted and cooled)
approximately 300 g flour
1/2 packet baking powder
For brushing the chicken before the oven:
salt
pepper
paprika
soft butter
Preparation method
1. Preparing the pancakes
1.1 Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat well.
1.2 Pour in the sparkling water, milk, and melted butter (after it has cooled), mixing after each ingredient to make everything homogeneous.
1.3 Incorporate the flour and baking powder. Mix until there are no lumps and the batter is slightly thicker than that for regular pancakes.
1.4 Heat a non-stick pan, greasing it with a little oil only for the first pancake.
1.5 Pour a ladle of batter and swirl the pan to make pancakes that are neither too thin nor too thick. Cook them on both sides.
1.6 Remove the pancakes to a plate. Continue until you finish the batter.
2. Deboning the chicken
2.1 Wash the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel, and place it on a cutting board, breast side up.
2.2 Use a small sharp knife. Start to separate the skin from the meat, being careful not to tear it. Go under the skin with your fingers and the knife, slowly.
2.3 Remove the meat from the breast, back, and ribs, keeping only the wings and lower thighs attached to the skin. Be careful not to puncture the skin; otherwise, the filling may leak out while baking.
2.4 All the removed meat should be washed, then boiled in salted water, just enough to cover it well.
2.5 After boiling, let the meat cool, then debone it completely and chop it finely.
3. Mushroom filling
3.1 Clean and finely chop the onion. Sauté it in a large pan with a little oil.
3.2 Clean the mushrooms, chop them into small cubes, and add them to the onion. Sauté until the liquid has evaporated.
3.3 Add the boiled and chopped chicken meat, mix. Season with salt, pepper, and possibly a little paprika.
3.4 Let it cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
3.5 Add the chopped fresh parsley. Let the filling cool down.
4. Assembling the chicken
4.1 Take each pancake and spread a thin layer of filling over its entire surface.
4.2 Roll the stuffed pancakes, like short rolls, or you can leave them flat, depending on their size.
4.3 Fill the chicken with these rolled pancakes, placing them one over the other, vertically, to fill the remaining skin. Don't force too hard, so the skin doesn't tear.
4.4 Once you finish filling, shape the chicken to resemble its original form as closely as possible.
4.5 If the skin has torn somewhere, sew it with kitchen needle and thread or secure it with toothpicks.
5. Preparing for the oven
5.1 Mix soft butter with salt, pepper, and paprika.
5.2 Brush the chicken all over.
5.3 Place baking paper in a tray, grease it with a little oil, and lay the chicken breast side up.
5.4 Bake in the preheated oven (180-200°C) for approximately 1 hour. Check towards the end if the skin is evenly browned.
6. Serving
6.1 After it has browned, let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice it to reveal the layers of pancake and filling.
Why I make this recipe often
I find it a good solution for days when you want something special and have a whole chicken. It's hearty, and the combination of pancakes and mushrooms with tender chicken meat is filling. You can make many servings, and the leftovers keep decently from one day to the next.
Tips and variations
Tips
Be patient while deboning, don't rush. An intact skin helps keep the filling from leaking out while baking.
If you don't have a needle and thread, toothpicks will work too.
Sauté the mushrooms until all the water evaporates, so the filling isn't too wet.
Substitutions
Any type of mushrooms can be used; they don't have to be champignon.
You can replace parsley with dill if you prefer.
Variations
You can add a little grated cheese to the filling, but not too much, so it doesn't become heavy.
Sometimes, you can also use sautéed spinach alongside the mushrooms.
Serving ideas
Cut into thick slices and serve with a green salad or pickles.
It’s also good cold, in thin slices as an appetizer.
Frequently asked questions
1. What do I do if the skin tears while deboning?
If you don't have an intact skin, sew it up as much as possible or use toothpicks. In the worst case, fill as much as the skin allows and adjust the appearance at the end.
2. How many pancakes should I make?
From the given batter, about 8-10 pancakes come out, enough to fill a medium-sized chicken.
3. Can I prepare the chicken a day in advance?
Yes, you can assemble the chicken and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can bake it the next day.
4. Can I use boneless chicken breast instead?
For this recipe, no, because you need the intact skin to be able to fill the chicken back.
5. Can I freeze the stuffed chicken?
I do not recommend it; the texture of the pancakes and mushrooms changes after freezing.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one serving (out of 8) has 370-420 kcal, with about 28 g of protein, 21 g of carbohydrates, and 18 g of fat. The values vary depending on how thick you make the pancakes and how much butter you use for brushing.
Storage and reheating
It keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 days. When reheating, use the oven at medium temperature, cover with foil if you don't want the skin to dry out. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave, as the pancakes may become rubbery.