Watercroft chicken
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 6
- Dietary
- Nut-freePregnancy-friendly
This trusted family favourite is a great make-ahead option. Stuffed chicken breasts are roasted with a tangy lime marmalade glaze and served with a creamy lime and parsley sauce. Perfect for a dinner party or Sunday lunch.
Ingredients
For the mushroom farci
- knob unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 150g/5oz button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 25g/1oz breadcrumbs
- 1 small free-range egg, beaten (you may not need all of it)
For the chicken
- 2 heaped tablespoons lime marmalade
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 6 chicken breast fillets, skin on
- 300ml/½ pint full-fat crème fraîche
- 1 lime, juice only
- freshly chopped parsley (any type)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the mushroom farci, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms, toss quickly in the butter and shallot mixture, then cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes. Remove the lid and cook until soft and the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the breadcrumbs and enough of the beaten egg to bind. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Meanwhile, put the marmalade in a small saucepan and heat gently. As it begins to melt, add the butter and stir until combined and runny.
To stuff the chicken breasts, carefully lift the skin along one side and, using a teaspoon, push the cooled mushroom farci underneath the skin. Fold the skin back and reshape. Arrange the chicken breasts in a small roasting tin and spoon the marmalade mixture over the top.
Roast near the top of the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish using a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Scrape all the bits from the base of the roasting tin, then stir in the crème fraîche and lime juice. Place the tin on the hob over a medium heat and reduce the sauce until thickened. Add more marmalade if the sauce is too sharp. Stir in the parsley and season to taste.
Serve the chicken with baby new potatoes, green vegetables and the sauce alongside.
Recipe tips
The chicken can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead and cooked to serve. The raw stuffed chicken breasts freeze well.
It's important to use full-fat crème fraîche as lower fat versions are liable to split during cooking. If you want to use low fat crème fraîche, add it at the last minute and take care to heat it very gently until the sauce is just warmed through.



