Gas-Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Hello loyal follower(s)

     Monday evening Mr Nut prepared and cook the meal for his wife and two friends.  it was another, " I haven't done this before, but what the hell" experiences for Mr Nut.  Having recently learned what bone-in skin-on chicken breast were and that they were available here in St George, UT, Mr Nut just had to try cooking them.

The first part, slicing a pocket in the breast and stuffing them with rolled  up ham with cheese in side of the rolled cheese, was no big deal.  However, since Mr Nut is all thumbs, the binding  up the stuffed breasts with Kitchen Twine ( another new experience for Mr Nut) was a challenge.

First the breasts are cooked skin side down over high heat, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Then they were flipped bone side down and cooked for about five minutes.  They started to look good at this point.

The breasts were then move to a burner that was not lit, and  tented with aluminum foil to direct the heat indirectly from the lit burners, and cooked for 30 minutes.

The finished product, ready for de-boning and untwining.

All sliced and ready to serve  on HOT Plates.



The recipe follows:


À bientôt,
Mr Nut

GAS-GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

 Stuffed With Ham and Swiss Cheese

   Modified From Cook's Illustrated Published July 1, 2010. 

For our gas-grilled stuffed chicken recipe’s stuffing, we wrapped the ham around the cheese and placed the whole bundle inside the chicken, which we had sliced horizontally and spread with a simple compound butter. Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts stayed moist, and the bone prevented shrinking and shielded the underside of the meat from the heat of the grill, giving us a stuffed chicken breast recipe that was made better by the grill, not worse.

Serves two to four people

For complete recipe:  carbs 17.5;  calories 1444

INGREDIENTS

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves

(about 12 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat and skin.         Carbs 0 g; Calories 960

Sea Salt
Vegetable oil for cooking grate

2 tablespoons  Smart Balance, softened.                                   Carbs 0 g;  Calories 72

2 tablespoons 20 g medium shallot , minced.                           Carbs 2.5  Calories 11

1/2 teaspoon dried Basil leaves.                                                  Carbs  .5 g; Calories 2

4 slices Swiss Cheese.                                                            Carbs 4 g;  Calories 240

2 thin slices ham (about 2 ounces).                                          Carbs  .5 g;   Calories 160

Ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Starting on thick side of breast, closest to breastbone, cut a horizontal pocket in each breast, stopping 1/2 inch from edge so halves remain attached. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 1 quart cold water in a container large enough to hold the breasts. Add breasts, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat until hot, about 450℉. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds. Leave primary burner (burner that will stay on during grilling) on high and turn off other burner(s).
3. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons Smart Balance, 2 tablespoons shallot, and 1/2 teaspoon basil in small bowl. Roll two pieces of cheese in one slice ham Remove breasts from brine, dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towels, and season inside and out with pepper. Spread equal amount of butter mixture inside each breast. Place one ham-wrapped piece of cheese inside each breast and fold breast over to enclose. Evenly space 3 pieces kitchen twine (each about 12 inches long) beneath each breast and tie, trimming any excess.
4. Place chicken breasts, skin side down, over hot part of grill and cook until well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until second side is just opaque, about 2 minutes. 
5. Move chicken, skin side up, to cool side of grill, with thicker side of breasts facing fire. Cover grill and continue to cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of stuffing registers 160 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. HAVE A WATER BOTTLE HANDY TO KEEP FLARING  DOWN. 
6. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, tented with foil, 10 minutes. You can serve the chicken on the bone, but Mr Nut prefers to carve it off and slice it before serving.
7. Remove twine, then carve breast meat from bone. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut with tip of knife against ribs, following their contour, to separate meat from bones. Carve into ½-inch-thick slices and serve.