Chicken Rolls

When I was in Florence I spent an afternoon at a cooking course, which may be a lame touristy thing to do, but at least I took away some practical skills.  We made Crespelle Al Forno (Baked Crepes) and Tirimasu and an Eggplant dish with a name I can't remember, and we made some Chicken and Mushroom Rolls -which were delicious.  This is a variation that I made for lunch on New Years Day.

Chicken Rolls
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sage leaves
Feta cheese
Stoneless black olives or olive tapenade
Olive oil
Butter
Cooking sherry or white wine

• Take each chicken thigh, lie it flat, and butterfly the thick end so that the meat is around the same thickness through the whole length.  Be a little careful so that you don't split the chicken.
• Put the butterflied fillet between two pieces of baking paper and gently use a mallet (or the side of a can) to flatten the fillet.  Start from the centre and work your way out.  Reducing the thickness of the fillet is important to help the meat cook through evenly.
• In the centre of each chicken fillet, place a couple of sage leaves and top with a hunk of feta and a dollop of olive tapenade or a couple of olives.  Don't overfill.  Roll up chicken and skewer the rolls closed with toothpicks.
• Heat a pan and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a small pat of butter.  Cook the chicken fillets, turning occassionally.  Add a swig of sherry towards the end of cooking, to loosen the juices in the pan and help prevent burning.  In the last couple of minutes of cooking you may want to add a few green beans and almonds to the pan, to serve as a side dish, along with a salad.

Buon Appetito