Chicken & Bacon Roulades

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Simple is often best, and these are simplicity at its best.

Chicken, bacon, herbs, and salt combine to create something more than what you'd think could be with a mere four ingredients. There's an earthiness and smokiness that satisfies more than one would expect.

I like to serve these when I put together a special-occasion dinner, but they are ideal for a weekday dinner too, as they take 5-10 minutes to prep and 30-45 minutes to bake.

Like I said, I'm a firm believer that simple is best.

(Oh, and yes, our ever-popular chicken nuggets are based off of this recipe, just in case you were wondering.)

Serve with a heap of sauteed vegetables and a warm cranberry sauce, warm fig butter, or melted brie.

Chicken and Bacon Roulades

makes 4-6 roulades

1 pound chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, wings, etc)
8-10 strips of smoked bacon
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
unrefined sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Coarsely chop the chicken and 4-5 slices of the bacon. Place half of the chopped pieces in a food processor and begin to grind. Add the rest of the pieces a few at a time and grind until you have a smooth paste. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper, then grind briefly again.

Lay the remaining pieces of bacon on the end of a large piece of cheesecloth, then form the chicken mixture into a 3″-diameter log and place over the bacon. Wrap the bacon around the chicken, then roll up the cheesecloth as tightly as possible. Tie the ends with kitchen twine.

Place the log in a baking pan and add boiling water to submerge it halfway, then place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until firm.

Remove the meat from the bain marie and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Remove cheesecloth and slice into 1″ rounds.