Chicken Wellington with Diane Sauce by Manu

Serves 4 | Prep: 1 hour, Cook: 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

2 large chicken breasts (375g each), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

30g salted butter, chopped

10 slices prosciutto (approx. 200g)

3-4 silverbeet leaves, core trimmed, blanched

375g roll butter puff pastry, thawed partially (See Tip)

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon pure cream

2 x 150g pouches Diane Sauce by Manu

Charred red witlof with grated parmesan, to serve

MUSHROOM DUXELLES

2 tablespoons olive oil

175g Swiss brown mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped

2 eschalots, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

30g salted butter, chopped

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Sea salt flakes and ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD

1. To make duxelles, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and eschalots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add thyme, garlic and butter, then reduce heat to medium and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the moisture has evaporated. Add wine and bring to boil. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in same, clean frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until browned all over. Remove.

3. Preheat oven to 220C (fan-forced).

4. Slightly overlap two long pieces of plastic wrap on bench, with a short edge closest to you. Lay prosciutto, slightly overlapping, on top of plastic wrap to form a 20cm x 30cm rectangle (you should have 5 slices wide by 2 slices long).

5. Squeeze out any excess moisture from blanched silverbeet, then lay on top of prosciutto. Place one chicken breast, top-side down, in the centre of the prosciutto. Press duxelles on top and sandwich with remaining chicken, top-side up. Using plastic wrap to help you, roll prosciutto around chicken to completely enclose, tucking excess prosciutto in at either end. Using either ends of excess plastic wrap, roll the chicken on the bench to form a tight cylinder.

6. While assembling the wellington, place an oven tray in the oven until very hot. Combine egg yolk and cream in a bowl and mix well.

7. To assemble wellington, unroll pastry onto a clean surface and brush egg wash in the centre, the same width as the chicken roll. Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap and place onto the egg-washed pastry. Cut four rectangles away from each corner of the pastry to form a plus symbol (+). Set aside. Fold short sides of the pastry over the chicken. Trim long sides so that when they meet in the middle of the roll, they overlap by approx. 1-2cm. Lift one long side up and over the chicken, brush with egg wash, then repeat with remaining long side to completely enclose. Press seams lightly together to seal. Carefully transfer wellington onto a sheet of baking paper, seam side down. Brush with egg wash.

8. For steam spout, use a 1½cm round cutter to out a small hole in the top of the wellington. From reserved pastry, cut out a ring and place neatly around steam hole and brush with egg wash. Transfer to heated oven tray.

9. Cook in oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200C (fan-forced) and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and crisp. Temperature should read 74 degrees on a meat thermometer when inserted into chicken. Remove. Stand 10 minutes before serving.

10. Meanwhile, Heat Diane Sauce by Manu in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.

11. Serve wellington with Diane sauce and charred witlof with grated parmesan.

TIPS

 We used Careme pastry for this recipe. Available at gourmet grocers or specialityfood stores.

 To blanch silverbeet, place in a saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds then refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain well by squeezing out excess moisture.