Gordon Ramsay’s Chicken Ballotine is made with tender deboned chicken legs, savory prosciutto, and a rich stuffing of minced chicken, heavy cream, pistachios, and fresh herbs. The result is a juicy, perfectly cylindrical roast with a crispy, golden exterior and a beautiful mosaic-like center. It is a stunning main course that is perfect for a fancy dinner party or a special holiday celebration.
Jump to RecipeWhy You Will Love This Chicken Ballotine:
- Restaurant-Quality Presentation: This dish looks incredibly professional. When you slice into the golden roll, the spiral of meat, prosciutto, and pistachio-studded stuffing looks like something from a 5-star hotel.
- Incredibly Juicy: Unlike roast chicken breast which can easily dry out, chicken legs are naturally moist. The addition of the cream-based stuffing ensures the meat stays tender and succulent every time.
- Budget-Friendly Elegance: Chicken legs are one of the cheapest cuts of meat at the grocery store. This recipe transforms a humble, inexpensive ingredient into a luxurious, high-end meal.
- Great for Dinner Parties: You can do the hard work early. You can roll and poach the chicken hours (or even a day) in advance. When your guests arrive, you simply unwrap the rolls and sear them in the pan for a few minutes.
Gordon Ramsay’s Chicken Ballotine Ingredients
For the Chicken and Wrapper:
- 4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick attached), deboned (skin on or off, depending on if wrapping)
- 8-12 slices of Prosciutto, Parma ham, or bacon
- Olive oil and butter, for searing
- Sea salt and black pepper
For the Stuffing (Mousseline):
- 1 chicken breast (skinless), diced
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
How To Make Gordon Ramsay’s Chicken Ballotine
- Prepare the stuffing: Place the diced chicken breast, egg white, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Blitz until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the cold heavy cream until the mixture forms a smooth, shiny paste (mousse). Transfer to a bowl and fold in the pistachios and chopped herbs. Chill this mixture for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the chicken legs: Lay a deboned chicken leg flat on a cutting board, skin-side down (or flesh-side up if skinless). Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the layers: Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on your counter. On top of the foil, lay 2-3 slices of prosciutto slightly overlapping to form a rectangle. Place the seasoned chicken leg on top of the ham.
- Add the filling: Spoon a line of the chilled mousse stuffing down the center of the chicken leg.
- Roll the ballotine: Using the foil to help you, tightly roll the chicken and prosciutto over the stuffing into a cylinder (like a sausage). Twist the ends of the foil tightly to secure the shape. It should look like a large Christmas cracker.
- Poach the chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer. Drop the foil-wrapped rolls into the water and poach for 25 minutes. This sets the shape and cooks the interior gently.
- Rest and cool: Remove the rolls from the water and let them cool slightly. If making ahead, place them in the fridge to firm up.
- Sear for color: When ready to serve, unwrap the foil. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken rolls and sear for 5-8 minutes, turning frequently, until the prosciutto is crispy and golden brown all over.
Recipe Tips
- Ask Your Butcher: Deboning a chicken leg while keeping the skin and meat intact can be tricky. Ask your butcher to “debone the leg for stuffing” to save yourself time and effort.
- Keep Ingredients Cold: When making the mousse stuffing, ensure the chicken, egg, and cream are very cold. If they are warm, the mixture can split and become grainy instead of smooth.
- Roll It Tight: The secret to a perfect round shape is rolling the foil as tightly as possible. If it is loose, the ballotine will fall apart when you slice it.
- Rest Before Slicing: After searing the ballotine, let it rest on a board for at least 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute so they don’t run out when you cut it.
What To Serve With Chicken Ballotine?
This dish is rich and salty, so it needs sides that offer balance serve it atop creamy mashed potatoes or a smooth parsnip purée. For greens, sautéed green beans with garlic or roasted asparagus work beautifully. To finish the plate, ladle over a rich Madeira sauce or a simple chicken gravy to add moisture and shine.
How To Store Leftovers Chicken Ballotine?
- Refrigerate: Let the cooked ballotine cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is actually delicious served cold as a lunch meat.
- Freeze: You can freeze the poached (but not seared) rolls while they are still in the foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then unwrap and sear as directed.
How To Reheat Leftovers Chicken Ballotine?
- In the Oven (Best for Whole Rolls) Place the ballotine rolls in a baking dish and add a splash of water or chicken broth to the bottom. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, remove the foil to let the prosciutto crisp up again.
- In a Skillet (Best for Slices) Melt a little butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the slices and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are golden and warm all the way through. This keeps the stuffing moist and restores the crust.
FAQs
Yes, you can pound a chicken breast flat and roll it. However, breast meat dries out much faster than leg meat. You will need to reduce the poaching time to about 15-18 minutes to prevent it from becoming tough.
Professional kitchens often use heat-safe cling film (plastic wrap) for the poaching step. Foil is safer for home cooks as not all plastic wrap is designed for boiling water temperatures.
If you use ham or bacon, the nitrates can sometimes keep the meat near it looking pink. However, if the texture is firm and hot all the way through, it is cooked. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
Chicken Ballotine Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 ballotine roll
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
- Sodium: 890mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 4g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 1g
- Protein: 42g
Gordon Ramsay’s Chicken Ballotine
Course: Dinner, Lunch, MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes35
minutes450
kcalGordon Ramsay’s Chicken Ballotine is made with tender deboned chicken legs, savory prosciutto, and a rich stuffing of minced chicken, heavy cream, pistachios, and fresh herbs. The result is a juicy, perfectly cylindrical roast with a crispy, golden exterior and a beautiful mosaic-like center. It is a stunning main course that is perfect for a fancy dinner party or a special holiday celebration.
Ingredients
4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick attached), deboned (skin on or off, depending on if wrapping)
8-12 slices of Prosciutto, Parma ham, or bacon
Olive oil and butter, for searing
Sea salt and black pepper
- For the Stuffing (Mousseline):
1 chicken breast (skinless), diced
1 egg white
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or sage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Directions
- Prepare the stuffing: Place the diced chicken breast, egg white, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Blitz until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the cold heavy cream until the mixture forms a smooth, shiny paste (mousse). Transfer to a bowl and fold in the pistachios and chopped herbs. Chill this mixture for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the chicken legs: Lay a deboned chicken leg flat on a cutting board, skin-side down (or flesh-side up if skinless). Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the layers: Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on your counter. On top of the foil, lay 2-3 slices of prosciutto slightly overlapping to form a rectangle. Place the seasoned chicken leg on top of the ham.
- Add the filling: Spoon a line of the chilled mousse stuffing down the center of the chicken leg.
- Roll the ballotine: Using the foil to help you, tightly roll the chicken and prosciutto over the stuffing into a cylinder (like a sausage). Twist the ends of the foil tightly to secure the shape. It should look like a large Christmas cracker.
- Poach the chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer. Drop the foil-wrapped rolls into the water and poach for 25 minutes. This sets the shape and cooks the interior gently.
- Rest and cool: Remove the rolls from the water and let them cool slightly. If making ahead, place them in the fridge to firm up.
- Sear for color: When ready to serve, unwrap the foil. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken rolls and sear for 5-8 minutes, turning frequently, until the prosciutto is crispy and golden brown all over.
Notes
- Ask Your Butcher: Deboning a chicken leg while keeping the skin and meat intact can be tricky. Ask your butcher to “debone the leg for stuffing” to save yourself time and effort.
Keep Ingredients Cold: When making the mousse stuffing, ensure the chicken, egg, and cream are very cold. If they are warm, the mixture can split and become grainy instead of smooth.
Roll It Tight: The secret to a perfect round shape is rolling the foil as tightly as possible. If it is loose, the ballotine will fall apart when you slice it.
Rest Before Slicing: After searing the ballotine, let it rest on a board for at least 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute so they don’t run out when you cut it.
