John Hornick — Chef’s Apprentice
Cooking can sometimes seem intimidating, especially when you want to impress. But with the right techniques, making a stunning chicken roulade (rollup) filled with apricots, mushrooms, and goat cheese is easier than you think. This dish isn’t just tasty; it’s a showstopper that makes a perfect restaurant-quality dish right in your kitchen. Whether for a special dinner or a casual night, mastering this recipe will boost your confidence and elevate your culinary skills.
Essential Ingredients and Their Culinary Roles
High-Quality Chicken Breasts
The foundation of a perfect roulade starts with choosing fresh, skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Look for medium size, preferably free range or pasture-raised—these details help ensure even cooking and a better taste and presentation. To get the right thickness, you’ll need to portion (cut the breasts in half) and pound the chicken, making it about a quarter inch thick. Thin, even slices without holes make the best roulades.
Flavorful Fillings: Apricots, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
The magic in this dish is in its fillings. Sweet dried apricots cut through the richness of the chicken and chevre (goat cheese), adding a hint of fruity sweetness. The mushrooms bring earthy depth and a hearty texture. Goat cheese, whether plain, herbed, or truffled, melts into the filling, giving it tang and creaminess.
You can swap or add ingredients, such as herbs or nuts, to create your signature style. I have suggested some alternate fillings in the Ingredients section below.
Aromatics and Seasonings
Fresh garlic, shallots, parsley, and thyme layer flavors to create a delicious profile. Mince the garlic and shallots to help build a savory base. Always use fresh herbs —gently pull thyme leaves from stems and chop parsley finely.
Season the ingredients with salt and freshly ground pepper to make the filling pop.
Additional Ingredients for Complements
Sherry vinegar and unsalted chicken stock (preferably homemade) enhance the filling’s depth. The vinegar adds a tangy brightness, while the stock helps moisten and flavor the mushrooms. A handful of arugula adds color and freshness when plating, and fresh chopped chives offer a delicate onion flavor to finish the dish with elegance.
Essential Kitchen Equipment for Perfect Roulades
Basic Tools
- Cutting board and knives: Precision is key—use a chef’s knife for slicing meat and a smaller paring knife for trimming. I have been using Wusthof knives for many years and I love TheTrueBoard, the best cutting board ever.
- Meat pounder and plastic wrap: For uniform thickness, cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound gently using a flat meat pounder.
- Kitchen twine and scissors: These keep the roulades tightly rolled during roasting.
Cooking and Assembly
- Saute pan: A versatile pan used for sweating aromatics, cooking mushrooms, and browning roulades—all in the same pan to develop flavor. I use very utilitarian pans, nothing fancy, and not many match.
- Pastry brush: To coat the roulades with olive oil before roasting.
- Oven, sheet pan, and optional Silpat mat: Roast the roulades evenly and make cleanup easier with a silicone baking mat. I use restaurant grade sheet pans, which are sturdier than pans sold for home use.
Step-by-Step Process to Make Chicken Roulade
Preparing the Fillings
Start by lightly seasoning the mushrooms, then sauté in a hot pan in about 1-2 Tb. olive oil, until the mushrooms chirp when pressed onto the pan. At first they will absorb the oil and look dry, but they will later release it and glisten. As Julia Child often said “Don’t crowd the mushrooms” or they will not brown.
Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, allowing the liquid to evaporate and intensify the flavor. Once the mushrooms are nearly dry, add chicken stock—cook until the liquid is almost gone. Then chop the mushrooms coarsely for scattering on the chicken.
Next, prepare the cheese filling. Let goat cheese sit at room temperature for easy spreading. Mix in minced garlic, shallots, parsley, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning by tasting and adding more if needed. Set aside.
Portioning and Pounding Chicken
Slice the chicken breasts in half and place the halves, well-spaced, on a plastic wrap-lined surface. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, then gently pound the meat to a uniform quarter-inch thickness using a flat meat pounder. They will spread as they flatten out. Try not to make holes or to tear the chicken apart. Pounding tenderizes the meat and creates an even surface for rolling.
Assembling the Roulades
Lay each flattened chicken piece on plastic wrap. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the chevre mixture on the pounded chicken pieces (like spreading jam on toast), then just cover the mixture with single slices of prosciutto (one or two slices per roulade). Distribute the chopped apricots and mushrooms on top, keeping fillings toward the middle.
Roll up the chicken pieces into snug rolls (don’t roll them so tightly that the chevre mixture squeezes out the ends).
Tie each roulade with kitchen string at both ends. Brush each roll with olive oil, then lightly season the outsides of the roulades.
Browning and Roasting
Lightly brown each roulade in about 1 Tb. of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté each side no longer than it takes to brown it lightly.
Remove the roulades and deglaze the sauté pan with white wine, scraping the bits that cling to the pan, and reduce to about 3-4 Tb. This sauce will be drizzled over the finished roulades.
Place the roulades into the basket of your rotisserie oven and roast them for 15 minutes. You could also roast them on a sheet pan in a regular oven but I like the rotisserie results better because they roast evenly all around. My video uses the oven-roasting method.
Finishing and Serving
Cut and remove the kitchen twine carefully. Slice the roulades diagonally for an attractive presentation. Arrange the roulade halves artistically on a bed of arugula. Spoon a little sauce over each roulade. Finish with chopped chives for color and a subtle oniony flavor. Serve immediately to enjoy moist, tender, and complexly flavored chicken.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Success
- Always work with goat cheese at room temperature. It spreads smoothly and evenly.
- Use a flat meat pounder for consistent thickness. Avoid large holes or tears by gentle pounding.
- Fillings are adaptable. Experiment with herbs, nuts, or other dried fruits to create your own signature. I have provided some suggestions below.
Actionable Tips for Perfect Results
- Use a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and simplify cleanup.
- Deglaze the pan—this enriches the sauce and flavor.
- Slice at an angle for a more elegant presentation.
- Personalize fillings with seasonally available ingredients or favorite flavors.
Conclusion
Making a chicken roulade filled with apricots, mushrooms, and goat cheese isn’t just creative—it’s achievable with the right tools and techniques. Focus on maintaining even thickness, building flavor in the pan, and careful rolling. Practice makes perfect. As you master these steps, you’ll impress guests and enjoy Chef’s-Apprentice-like satisfaction. Don’t be afraid to tweak fillings and seasonings to make a dish uniquely yours. Your culinary confidence will grow with each attempt, turning simple ingredients into a stunning gourmet meal.
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Ingredients
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
- 4 oz. log of chevre (plain, truffled, herb, or garlic)
- About 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
- About 2 Tb. garlic, minced
- About 2 Tb. shallots, minced
- About 1 Tb. parsley, chopped
- About 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- About 6 oz. crimini, shitake, and/or other fresh mushrooms, stems removed (keep for stock), and sliced
- 6-12 slices of prosciutto
- About 2 Tb. sherry vinegar
- About 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- About 1/3 cup white wine
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Peppermill
- Arugula, washed and spun dry
- About 1 Tb. chives, chopped
Alternate Fillings
- Sautéed spinach, garlic, and mushrooms
- Sautéed chopped ham and cheese
- Sundried tomatoes, chopped (either packed in oil or reconstituted from dry)
- Leeks, cooked in butter until they melt
- Dried plums or prunes, chopped
- Dried dates, chopped
Step-By-Step
Serves 6 as a small plate
Preparation time: about 65 to 75 minutes
- 1. Lightly season the mushrooms, then sauté in a hot pan in about 1-2 Tb. olive oil, until the mushrooms chirp when pressed onto the pan.
- 2. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and reduce to almost dry, then repeat with the chicken stock. Remove mushrooms from the pan and coarsely chop.
- 3. Mix chevre with the garlic, shallots, parsley, and thyme, and season to taste.
- 4. Cover a cutting board with plastic wrap. Place chicken pieces on plastic wrap and cover board and chicken pieces with another layer of plastic wrap. Pound out the breast pieces until they are about ¼” thick. Season the top side.
- 5. Spread the chevre mixture on the pounded chicken pieces, cover the mixture with single slices of prosciutto, then sprinkle with chopped apricots and mushrooms.
- 6. Roll up the chicken pieces and tie each end. Brush each roll with olive oil, then lightly season the outsides.
- 7. Lightly brown each roulade in olive oil.
- 8. Remove the roulades, deglaze with white wine, reduce to 3-4 Tb., and keep warm.
- 9. Transfer roulades to the rotisserie oven’s basket, then roast 15 minutes.
- 10. To plate: remove the kitchen string, slice each roulade once in the center, diagonally, and arrange artistically on each plate, on a bed of arugula. Drizzle a little of the pan sauce on each roulade and garnish with chopped chives.
