Manchego & Chorizo Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Asparagus
From Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours, ITV
Chicken and chorizo is a classic flavour combination and this stuffed chicken is simple to make with just a few ingredients. The addition of Spanish Manchego cheese and hint of zesty lemon is delicious. Ideal for an easy mid-week meal served with mash or crispy potatoes or if you’re in a real cheesy mood try with my creamy, Cheesy Potato & Onion Gratin with a hint of Spanish flavour for a truly indulgent meal.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180Cfan/Gas 6
In a bowl mash together the chorizo meat, cheese, shallot, parsley and zest. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Cut a slit in the thickest side of each chicken breast and use the knife to open out a pocket. Stuff each pocket with a quarter of the mixture. Press down to close – you can use toothpicks to seal the edges. Season the skin with salt and pepper.
Place the asparagus in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss until coated.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over a medium heat. When hot, place the chicken skin-side down and cook for 5-6 minutes without moving, until lightly golden. Turn and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Add the butter the pan, sprinkle the top of the chicken with oregano and place the pan in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Add the asparagus to the pan 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
Ingredients
- 4 plump/large chicken breasts, skin on
- 125g spicy cooking chorizo sausage meat, skin removed
- 125g Manchego cheese, grated
- 1 banana shallot, grated
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g asparagus