Black Olive Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Pine Nut Risotto Cake, Rapini & Roast Garlic Basil Broth



The Black Olive Stuffed Chicken Breast  
 To stuff the chicken:
 2 chickens (about 3 1/2 pounds each)
 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
 1/2 cup black olives
 salt and pepper to season

 to sauté chicken:
 1 tablespoons olive oil
 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the chickens under cold running water.

Remove the legs from the chickens, trim the meat off the legs, and reserve it for the mixture used to stuff the chicken breasts.

Cut off the last 2 sections of each wing, leaving the third section attached to the carcass.

Carefully remove the breasts from the chicken, leaving the remaining wing section attached to each breast.

Remove the skin from the breasts and attached wing section by loosening it and tugging it firmly over the end of the wing bone.

Save all the bones and scraps.

In a food processor, purée the reserved leg, thighs and drum meat with the olives and Parmesan cheese until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place the purée in a large, heavy plastic freezer bag and seal.

Remove the chicken tenderloins from the breasts and reserve.

With a sharp, flexible boning knife, carefully cut a horizontal pocket into each breast.

Cut off 1 inch from corner of plastic bag.

Insert the cut corner on the bag into the chicken pocket, and squeeze out one-quarter of the stuffing into the breast.

Sauté breasts in a fry pan with butter and olive oil, until browned then place in the oven for five to ten minutes until heated through

 The Pine Nut Risotto Cake  
 4 tablespoons olive oil
 1 large onion, finely chopped
 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, reserved
 1 clove minced garlic, minced
 2 cups super-fino grade arborio rice
 1/2 cup Chardonnay
 Approximately 6 cups light chicken stock
 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the rice and onions and sauté, stirring, until the grains feel chalky and have a tiny white dot in their center. (Be careful not to brown the onions.)

Add the Chardonnay and reduce liquid by three-quarters, stirring constantly.

Slowly add enough of the chicken stock to cover the rice. Reduce heat to sustain just a simmer. Continue stirring until the stock is absorbed.

Add more stock, just covering the rice, and simmer, stirring frequently.

Continue cooking the risotto and adding stock until the rice is just done. It should be "al dente" or slightly firm, with each grain distinct and done to a pleasing texture but not mushy.

Add pine nuts.

Pat risotto into a low-sided baking sheet and chill.

When risotto is firm, cut out circular cakes using a biscuit cutter or ring mold.

Dredge risotto cakes in powdered rice or flour.

In a fry pan heat olive oil and butter carefully fry risotto cakes on both sides until golden. Set aside and keep warm.

The Rapini
 1 bunch of rapini (sometimes known as Broccoli Raab) roughly chopped

In a bamboo or vegetable steamer, steam rapini over simmering water until tender. Set aside and keep warm.

The Basil Broth
 The reserved bones and scraps from the chicken
 2 cups of chardonnay
 1 large carrot chopped
 1 celery stalk, chopped
 1 large onion, chopped
 4 garlic cloves
 4 bay leaves
 2 cups basil leaves
 1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the reserved bones and scraps in a roasting pan with a splash of water. Roast the bones until deep golden brown, about one hour. Remove the bones and place in a stockpot. Add the chardonnay to the roasting pan and stir to dissolve the browned pan juices. You may find it useful to place the pan over a low heat for a few moments to help dissolve. Pour all into the stockpot and add the vegetables and bay leaf.

Crunch the bones down a bit then just cover them with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for three hours. Strain through a fine strainer into a saucepot.

Bring the stock to a boil and reduce to 3 cups.

In a vegetable or bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water, steam basil just until wilted.

Purée basil with vegetable oil, then stir into warm chicken stock. Serve immediately.

The Plate!

Place a warm risotto cake in the center of a warm service bowl. Top with a few stalks of the steamed rapini. Slice a chicken breast in half and arrange on the rapini. Pour over a bit of the broth and garnish the works with a basil sprig.