Chicken Roulades with Cheese and Leek in Pepper Sauce

Flavorful chicken roulades filled with cheese and leek, served with a delicious pepper sauce that’s rich, creamy, aromatic, and mildly spicy. Most of the prep can be done in advance. The sauce pairs wonderfully with many other dishes.

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You will need

6 medium chicken breasts

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Old Bay seasoning

Butter and olive oil for frying

For the filling

3.5 oz (100 g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese

⅔ cups of (150 g) mozzarella cheese, grated

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) finely grated parmesan

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) aged cheddar, grated

Olive oil and butter for frying

⅔ cups (150 ml) shallots, finely chopped

1 ½ (22 ½ ml) tbsp garlic, finely chopped

½ - 1 tsp (2 ½ - 5 ml) red chili, finely chopped

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) water

1 cube mushroom bouillon

1 tsp (5 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup + 1 tbsp leek, chopped

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) spring onions, chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard

Sauce

¾ cup + 1 tbsp (200 ml) water

Butter and olive oil for frying

¼ cup (50 ml) shallots, finely chopped

½ tbsp (7 ½ ml) garlic, grated

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) red chili, finely chopped

3 tbsp (45 ml) mixed pepper (rose, white, green, black, Tellicherry, and Sichuan pepper), crushed into a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle

1 tbsp (15 ml) all-purpose flour, diluted in water to make a smooth mixture

2 cubes mushroom bouillon

1 ½ tbsp (22 ½ ml) tomato paste

1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard

2 tbsp (30 ml) dry sherry

1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) heavy cream

2 tsp (10 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it

Chicken

1. Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise in half, but don’t cut all the way through. Open it up so it’s double the width. Place the chicken in a large plastic bag and pound it flat so it’s evenly thin. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.

6 medium chicken breasts

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Old Bay seasoning

Filling

2. Heat a frying pan with olive oil and butter. Add the chopped shallots and sauté over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and red chili and sauté for a minute or two.

Olive oil and butter for frying

⅔ cups (150 ml) shallots, finely chopped

1 ½ (22 ½ ml) tbsp garlic, finely chopped

½ - 1 tsp (2 ½ - 5 ml) red chili, finely chopped

3. Add water and the bouillon cube and let it cook down with the onions.

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) water

1 cube mushroom bouillon

4.  Add honey, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool.

1 tsp (5 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5.  In a separate bowl, combine all the cheeses: cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and shredded aged cheese.

3.5 oz (100 g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese

⅔ cups of (150 g) mozzarella cheese, grated

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) finely grated parmesan

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) aged cheddar, grated

6.  Add the cooled onion mixture and stir well.

7. Add the leeks, spring onions, and Dijon mustard, and mix everything together.

¾ cup + 1 tbsp leek, chopped

⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (100 ml) spring onions, chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard

Assemble the Roll-Ups

8.  Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. Roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.

9.  Heat a frying pan with butter and olive oil. Fry the chicken roll-ups in batches over medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides. Set the roll-ups aside and don’t clean the pan.

Butter and olive oil for frying

Sauce

10. Deglaze the pan with water, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom, and simmer for a few minutes. Strain out the small bits and save the liquid.

¾ cup + 1 tbsp (200 ml) water

11. In the same pan, heat olive oil and butter. Add the chopped shallots and sauté until soft. Add garlic, red chili, and crushed pepper mix, and sauté for another minute or two.

Butter and olive oil for frying

¼ cup (50 ml) shallots, finely chopped

½ tbsp (7 ½ ml) garlic, grated

½ tsp (2 ½ ml) red chili, finely chopped

3 tbsp (45 ml) mixed pepper (rose, white, green, black, Telli cherry, and Sichuan pepper), crushed into a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle

12. Add the flour mix to the pan and mix well.

1 tbsp (15 ml) all-purpose flour, diluted in water to make a smooth mixture

13. Gradually add the reserved deglaze liquid and bouillon cubes, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.

2 cubes mushroom bouillon

14. Add tomato paste, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and sherry. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

1 ½ tbsp (22 ½ ml) tomato paste

1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard

2 tbsp (30 ml) dry sherry

15. Gradually add the heavy cream, stirring well.

1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) heavy cream

16. Add honey, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

2 tsp (10 ml) honey

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

17. Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly.

Finish the Dish

18. Remove the toothpicks from the chicken roll-ups and cut the roulades in half. Add them to the sauce and simmer under a lid for 20 minutes, turning the roulades halfway through.

19. Serve with pasta or rice.

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