Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• with mini fillets
• 2 boneless
• skinless chicken thighs
• 1 free-range egg white
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp chervil
• roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 75g/3oz butter
• 2 large shallots
• finely chopped
• 125g/4½oz morel mushrooms
• halved if large
• 110ml/4fl oz dry sherry
• 200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
• 110ml/4fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400g/14oz fresh tagliarini pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chervil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Place the chicken breasts
• skin side-down onto a chopping board. Remove the mini fillets from the main breast. Place the mini fillets between two sheets of cling film on a flat work surface and bash with a rolling pin to flatten to 5mm thickness.
• Using a sharp knife
• cut into the main breasts from the fattest part down towards the bottom
• just 1.5cm/½in deep
• not cutting all the way through. Return the knife to the top of the cut and cut to the side
• opening out the chicken breast. Repeat with the other side
• then open the folds of chicken to open the breast out.
• Place the chicken thigh meat into a food processor and blend to a purée.
• Add the egg white and blend again to combine
• then add the double cream and pulse until combined.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• add the chervil and mix well.
• Place a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken mousse into the centre of each opened up chicken breast. Fold the sides of the chicken breasts back over the filling
• then place a flattened mini fillet over the top of each
• taking care that all the filling is covered and the mini fillet sticks to the chicken breast.
• Heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot
• add the olive oil and the stuffed chicken breast
• skin-side down. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side
• until golden-brown all over
• then transfer to the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes
• or until completely cooked through. Test the chicken breast is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the meat. If the juices run clear
• the chicken is cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for five minutes.
• For the sauce and pasta
• heat a clean frying pan until hot
• add half the butter and all of the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes
• until the shallots are just softened.
• Add the morels and cook for two minutes.
• Add the sherry and boil to reduce the liquid by half. CAUTION: the sherry may catch light
• make sure there are no flammable objects nearby.
• Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half.
• Add the cream and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by a third.
• Add the parsley and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Meanwhile
• bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• then add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain the pasta
• then return it to the pan it was cooked in.
• Add the remaining butter and all of the olive oil and chervil. Mix well
• seasoning
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• slice each chicken breast into three pieces and place onto four plates. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the chicken then spoon some pasta alongside.