Tomatoes, basil and cheese are a classic flavour combination. The acid from the tomatoes is neutralized by the creaminess of the cheese (mainly fresh mozzarella) and the freshness of the basil lightens the whole dish. The extra step of tenderizing the chicken breast to tear apart any muscle fibres will make the cooked meat very tender (and it's easier to roll!).
This is a real crowd-pleasing dish. It looks was very fancy, but is actually so easy and only requires a few healthy ingredients. The recipe can easily be doubled and can be made in the morning, so you have more time to spend with your dinner guests when they arrive!
In the winter, this is a dish I make in the oven, but seeing as it's summer and I can't bear to heat up an already smoking hot house, I have been working on this BBQ'd version of Caprese Chicken Involintini.
Involintini is a fancy Italian word that means "rolls". It's usually refers to a meat dish with some sort of herb, vegetable or cheese stuffing that is rolled and tied. The French also have a term for this, you might have heard, called roulade. In French cooking, a roulade could be used to describe either a meat dish or a cake/pastry dessert that's rolled with a filling.
Happy grilling, I hope you enjoy one of my family favourites!
Krista
Chicken Caprese Involintini (Involintini di Pollo)
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken fillets removed (small tenders from under the breast meat).
salt & pepper
1 ball of fresh mozzarella (you will need about 1 oz of cheese per chicken breast - a regular tennis sized ball will do 8 chicken breasts)
1/2 c slow roasted tomatoes (here), or see Recipe Note below
12 basil leaves + more for garnish
olive oil (or, I like to use the oil from my slow roasted tomato jar here for extra flavour)
drizzle balsamic glaze, for finishing touch
Special Equipment
*baker's twine for rolling (pre-soak 3 pieces per chicken breast if BBQing, so string doesn't burn)
*2 pieces of parchment paper for meat tenderizing
Method
Pre-heat a clean BBQ to 350-375 degrees. It is important to keep your BBQ at a low-medium temperature so you don't dry out your chicken. If you are using an oven instead, pre-heat to 375 degrees.
Place 1 piece of parchment paper on top of a non-slip surface (I used a baking sheet). Take chicken breasts (fillet removed) out of the refrigerator and place on the piece of parchment paper. Top with a second piece of parchment. Using a tenderizer (I have tried everything, rolling pins, hammers, etc. but I find a tenderizer tends to work best and is slightly less messy), pound the chicken with even pressure until it is 1/2-inch thick all around. Having an even thickness will help with cooking. Remove the top piece of parchment and discard.
Evenly spread flattened chicken out of baking sheet and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Add 1 oz of cheese to the widest centre part of the chicken breast. I like to use 2 little pieces of cheese and overlap them in the middle. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of slow roasted tomatoes and 2-3 fresh basil leaves.
Pull and tuck one end of the chicken over the stuffing, then draw up second end tightly, until a roll is formed. Using 3 pieces of twine, secure the centre, top and bottom of the chicken roll. Trim any extra twine ends, so they don't burn. See picture below.
Place chicken on a clean baking sheet. If serving immediately, drizzle with olive oil, or slow roasted tomato oil, ensuring all sides of the chicken are covered. When BBQing it's best to oil your meat, not the grill.
In a pre-heated BBQ, place chicken on low direct to in-direct heat for 5 minutes, turn over once chicken releases and you see grill marks and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, finishing with a quick sear of either side of the chicken. It is important that the internal temperature of your chicken is at about 160-165 degrees and residual cooking will happen once meat is allowed to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
If you are using an oven, cook chicken rolls on parchment for 30-40 minutes, until it reaches 160-165 degrees when a thermometer is placed into the chicken meat.
Serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a few extra basil leaves.
Recipe Note:
* If you don't have the time to make slow-roasted tomatoes or don't have any on hand, I like to use a combination of fresh cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters, depending on the size and 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped finely
* Before you serve, top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a true caprese experience
* Serve with roasted potatoes (also cooked on the barbecue, this is a go-to recipe) and a Caesar Salad, like the one I have shown below & you have the perfect easy summer meal that tastes amazing and looks fancy enough to serve to guests!
* I like to keep the reserved chicken fillets to use later in skewers & satays - they are incredibly soft and buttery making them perfect for small-bite chicken appetizers
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