Grandpa Joe's
Italian Stuffed Chicken

Chef Mario Batali "taught" me this recipe.  I've made a few modifications, but the inspiration is from him.  Mille Grazie chef.

About this recipe

Italian Stuffed Chicken (Pollo Italiano Ripiena in Italian) is probably my favorite selection for a secondo piatto (second plate) when I'm serving a multi-course classic Italian dinner.  Admittedly, it's a bit tricky to debone the chicken (actually, only the first time), but the rewards are worth the extra effort.  Not only is the meat tender, moist, and supremely delicious, the presentation is spectacular!

Ingredients

  • 1 6-pound fryer chicken, bones removed
  • ¼ pound prosciutto d'Parma, cut into ¼-inch batons
  • ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup grated provolone cheese
  • 4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Lay the deboned chicken (see Notes) on a cutting board, skin-side down, and season with salt and pepper. 
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the prosciutto, parsley, bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, eggs, provolone, basil, and rosemary until lightly mixed. 
  3. Lay the filling in a layer over the chicken’s interior to within an inch of the perimeter.  Roll the bird up like a stuffed roast and tie tightly at regular intervals with butcher’s twine.
  4. Season the outside with salt and pepper and set on a rack in a roasting pan. 
  5. Place the chicken in the oven and cook 35 to 40 minutes at 450° F, or until crisp and golden on the outside and (most important) the internal temperature of the stuffing reaches 160° F on a meat thermometer.
  6. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 10 minutes, carve into 1-inch thick medallions, and serve.
Deboned chicken with the herb and cheese stuffing.
Rolled, tied, and ready for the oven.
Pollo Italiano Ripiena ready for the table.  Served here with Roasted Vegetables.

Notes

  • The deboning process is easier than it appears at first.  Begin by removing the backbone with a very sharp butcher knife.  Make two slits, one on either side of the backbone, from head to tail.  The bird will now open and lay flat on your cutting surface.  Using a deboning (or other very sharp) knife, remove the two breast bones.  Remove and discard the two wings, or set them aside for another meal.  Then cut into the meat on each leg from the skin to the bone.  Cut a slit parallel to the bones, then remove the bone by cutting the meat away from the bone radially.  Finally, feel around the flesh to ensure no small bones or cartilage pieces remain.
  • Imported fresh (non-smoked, non-sharp) provolone is recommended.
Posted: July 2014.