
Mustard-Grilled Chicken With Spinach, Pine Nuts, Pecorino, And Soft Egg
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely diced shallots
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- ½ cup dry vermouth
- ½ cup plus 1tbsp Dijon mustard
- 7 extra-large eggs
- 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 6 large chicken breasts, boned
- 1 extra-large egg yolk
- 1½ tsp red-wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, for juicing
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 6 oz baby spinach, dried
- ¾ cup thin spring onions
- ½ cup grated Pecorino
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- kosher salt and pepper
- Pecorino Pudding
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- For the chicken marinade, heat a
sauté pan over medium for 1 minute.
Swirl in the butter and, when it foams, add the shallots and thyme; sauté for about 2 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add the vermouth, and reduce by half. Transfer to a baking dish and let cool a few minutes.
Whisk in ½ cup Dijon mustard, 1 egg, tarragon, and a pinch of pepper. - Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet to ½-inch thickness. Remove from the wrap. Slather the chicken with the marinade, coating both sides.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. - Whisk the egg yolk in a bowl with 1 tbsp mustard, vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, and a bit of pepper. Slowly whisk in ¾ cup olive oil. Thin the vinaigrette with 1 tsp water.
- Pre-heat the grill before cooking the chicken. Chicken should be room temperature.
- Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. When nuts have cooled, coarsely chop them.
- Meanwhile, carefully lower the remaining six eggs into a pot of boiling water. Cook for 6 minutes, and cool immediately in a bowl of ice water. When cooled, peel them.
- Place the spinach, half the pine nuts, half the breadcrumbs, and the spring onions in a large bowl.
- When ready to grill chicken, place the soft-cooked eggs in the oven to heat up.
- Drizzle the chicken with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, and place on the grill skin-side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, rotating once or twice until nicely crisp and cooked through.
- Pour ½ cup of the vinaigrette over the salad, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon. Toss well.
- Centre the pudding (recipe follows) onto 6 plates; put salad on top, then the chicken. Balance an egg on top of each piece of chicken. Drizzle with ¼ cup vinaigrette. Sprinkle atop remaining pine nuts, breadcrumbs and grated Pecorino.
PECORINO PUDDING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Heat a pot over medium for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp unsalted butter. When it foams, whisk in ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Cook about 5 minutes. Slowly pour in 1¾ cups whole milk and 2/3 cup heavy cream, whisking constantly. Cook until warm to touch. Remove from heat.
- Whisk 1 extra-large egg and 1 extra-large egg yolk in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle eggs into cream mixture, whisking continuously. Stir in 1¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Add ½ tsp salt. Pour mixture into an 8-by-6-inch baking dish and cover lightly with foil. Put dish in a roasting pan. Add hot water until halfway up outside of dish. Bake for about 1 hour, until pudding is set.

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