Chicken Filled with Dried Apricots and Honey

Hello once again, my lovelies!

This chicken can be served for dinner in whole breasts, or to look more spectacular, you can serve them sliced and arranged on a plate for everyone to help themselves!

There are many recipes which put fruit, nuts and cheese in the middle of rolled meat, and I really enjoy the chicken ones.  This is the first in my series of fillings for chicken, so keep on the lookout for more.  These really impress visitors, even though they are quite easy to make!

A beginner just learning to cook that special meal, would have no problems with this recipe - the hardest part is cutting the pocket in the chicken.

In this instance, I have used small chicken breasts as I find these rolled chicken delights are tastier with thinner chicken.  I also mainly buy free range or sometimes organic chicken.

I have cooked this on the barbecue, however you could also do it in a pan.  I like that "smokey" flavour of the barbecue, so thought I would try it - I was very pleased with the result!

The flavours of the chicken, honey, dried apricots and butter work go very well together and has such a good, unusual taste - that I actually ate two whole small ones myself!

Making a recipe like this, just adds a bit of "pizzazz" to an otherwise ordinary chicken meal!

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 2 servings

Ingredients
½ cup dried apricots
2 chicken breasts, trimmed
30 g butter, chopped
25 g honey
½ garlic clove, or ½ tsp from jar

Method
Soak the dried apricots in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  Drain them and allow them to cool.

Turn on the barbecue if using this method to cook.

Using a sharp knife make a deep cut along one side of each chicken breast, ensuring you cut towards the corners as well.  Do not cut right through however.  I had one larger breast, so cut this piece off and made it into 3 chicken rolls.

The pocket will then look like this, and be easy to put the stuffing into.

Put the apricots, butter, honey and garlic in a blender or similar, and process until cut up or starting to get smooth.

Fill the apricot mixture into the chicken pockets, making sure you push the mixture to the sides and back as well.

Using several toothpicks, close each chicken breast, so that the filling will not all leak out.

Rub salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts, and spray both sides with oil.

If you are using the barbecue (you could also cook on the stove or grill) place on a pre heated hot barbecue.

Cook about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but do not overcook or chicken breasts become dry.

Remove the toothpicks and serve as a whole, though it looks far nicer when each breast is sliced.  It is also a great addition to a buffet, or finger food when sliced.

I served it with green beans and rice - a perfect meal!  The next day I served this with my broccoli salad

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