Chicken Thighs Stuffed With Chard

By Mark Bittman

Chicken Thighs Stuffed With Chard
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(221)
Comments
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Stuffing boneless chicken has long been reserved for breasts, but most chicken breasts have so little flavor that you almost have to stuff them with fat. Thighs, however, are fattier and more flavorful, so a stuffing can be leaner and brighter. And now that boneless thighs are sold in many supermarkets, the only issues are flattening and rolling. But if you pound a thigh as you would a breast, it becomes large enough to stuff and roll (Because thighs are irregularly shaped, you’ll need to skewer them closed with a couple of toothpicks). Almost any stuffing will work; just don’t overfill. My current favorite uses a light, leafy green, along with pine nuts and raisins. The result is nicely browned meat and a lean stuffing with acidity, crunch and sweetness. For more flavor, I like to finish with a splash of sherry; with the liquid spooned over the thighs and a sprinkle of parsley, the dish becomes downright impressive.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 servings
  • 1½ to 2pounds chard
  • 5tablespoons olive oil
  • 1tablespoon chopped garlic
  • ½cup pine nuts
  • ½cup raisins, soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes, drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½cup dry (fino) sherry or a flavorful white wine
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

488 calories; 27 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 883 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut chard stems into 1- to 2-inch lengths, and coarsely chop leaves. Gently boil stems until almost tender. Add chopped leaves. Cook until soft, another couple of minutes. Drain well, pressing out water.

  2. Step 2

    Put 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-low heat and add garlic; cook until garlic begins to color, a couple of minutes. Add pine nuts and cook another minute, stirring, then add chard, raisins and salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. (Stuffing can be refrigerated for two days.)

  3. Step 3

    Put each thigh between plastic wrap and pound thin, without tearing. Sprinkle with salt. Put spoonful of stuffing on one end and roll. Skewer closed with a toothpick or two.

  4. Step 4

    Put remaining oil in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add thighs, browning on one side for about 5 minutes and adjusting heat if needed, then turn. Cook a minute or two, then turn heat to medium-low and add sherry. Let bubble for about 30 seconds, cover, and cook about 5 minutes, or until chicken thighs are quite firm and cooked through.

  5. Step 5

    Remove to a platter. Reduce liquid in pan over high heat, if needed, and spoon over chicken. Garnish with parsley, and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
221 user ratings
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Comments

Randy

In Step 5 add 2 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil and reduce to 1 cup. Turn off heat and whisk in 2 TBL of diced cold butter. Season to taste.
If you don't want the extra butter you can thicken the reduced liquid with a slurry of 1 TBL sherry + 1 tsp potato starch or corn starch. Whisk the slurry into the simmering liquid and it will thicken immediately.
I've also used this stuffing minus the raisins to stuff sole, flounder and tilapia. I add lemon to the butter sauce.

lisa micali

I have been making a similar recipe called Chicken Braciole with Spinach (from Food & Wine Magazine, available on their website). It is also delicious and quite similar, with the addition of shallots, Pecorino cheese and fresh breadcrumbs, as well as a thin slice of proscuitto. Chicken broth and some white wine are added to simmer the rolls, which makes a nice sauce. A great, flexible recipe which works quite well with the boneless thighs, as Mark says.

Bebe

Pretty tasty. The thighs didn't get very flat when pounded, but they rolled up well and the timing for cooking was good; they weren't undone or overcooked. I used diced dried apricots instead of raisins. The sweetness was necessary. Yes, and walnuts instead of pine nuts since I didn't have any. Maybe almonds would have been better.

Ronna

I have made this three times over the past year or so…fabulous each time. What an adaptable recipe as well…using stuffing for fish as mentioned previously. Knocked it out of the park on this one, NYT. Well done!

marie

Nice recipe. Will amp up flavor next time, maybe with some chili flakes

JenM

My mods were using dried cranberries instead of raisins, and bok choy instead of chard. Still a great recipe!

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