Here is another variation of a meat roll stuffed with more meat. In this case I wanted a hearty base of onion, carrot and celery.
The Ingredients
Chicken breasts boned and skinned, ground lamb, garlic, pancetta, carrot, celery, onion, rosemary, dry white wine. Not pictured: olive oil, canned tomatoes.
Chicken Breast
Carefully slice each breast into thin sheets. You should get 3 or 4 sheets out of each breast half.
Pancetta
Finely chop the pancetta and saute on high heat until most of the fat is rendered, but don’t allow it to become too brown and crispy.
Garlic and Rosemary
Add finely chopped garlic and rosemary. Stir and saute briefly. Less than a minute. Just allow the flavors to bloom.
Ground Lamb
Add the ground lamb and stir and saute only until it has lost most of its pink color. Then remove from pan to a bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pan. Turn off the heat.
The Rolls
Lay out each sheet of thin chicken breast. Spoon and spread the ground lamb onto each, dividing the filling evenly. Do not overfill.
Roll them up.
Tie them so they don’t unroll. You can also use a toothpick.
Fire up the pan again. When hot, add the rolls.
Turn them until they are browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Il Battuto
Saute the chopped onion in the same pan in whatever drippings remain. You should have enough fat but add olive oil if necessary.
Carrot and Celery
When the onion is soft and begins to turn color add the chopped carrot and celery. Continue to saute until everything is soft and golden.
Tomatoes
Chop a few canned tomatoes and add along with some salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes until the liquid is reduced.
The Rolls
Return the rolls to the pan, stirring and coating them in the sauce.
After a few minutes add about a cup of dry white wine.
Nestle the rolls down in the sauce. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Set the lid on slightly askew. Cook for 20-30 minutes until they have fully cooked. Turn them over from time to time. Check and correct for salt. Add more pepper. Trim off the string and serve.
