Chicken Roulade with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato
Rolled chicken breast stuffed with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, sliced to reveal a spiral of flavour — a technique formalised in 18th-century classical French cuisine with roots in Renaissance court banquets.
- 2 lbboneless skinless chicken breasts(4 large breasts)
- 2 cupsfresh spinach(packed)
- 0.5 cupsun-dried tomatoes(oil-packed, drained and chopped)
- 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 2 tbspolive oil(divided)
- 1 tbspfresh basil(chopped)
- 1 tspfresh thyme
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
- 1 tbspDijon mustard(optional)
- Kitchen twine(for tying)
Roulades can be assembled and tied up to 24 hours ahead. Sear and roast just before serving. Slice at the last moment.
- 1Preheat oven to 400°F
- 2Sauté spinach and garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until wilted, drain excess liquid
- 3Mix spinach with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, thyme
- 4Butterfly chicken breasts by slicing horizontally, leaving one edge attached
- 5Open like a book and pound to even 1/4-inch thickness
- 6Season with salt and pepper, brush with Dijon if using
- 7Spread spinach mixture evenly over each breast
- 8Roll tightly and tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals
- 9Heat remaining olive oil in oven-safe skillet over medium-high
- 10Sear roulades on all sides until golden, about 6 minutes total
- 11Transfer skillet to oven and roast 20-25 minutes until internal temp reaches 165°F
- 12Rest 5 minutes before removing twine and slicing into medallions
Pound chicken evenly for uniform cooking. Tie tightly to prevent unrolling. Let rest before slicing to keep juices in. Use a very sharp knife for clean medallion cuts.
The roulade technique — rolling a flat piece of meat or pastry around a filling, then cooking it and slicing the roll to reveal the spiral — is one of the defining methods of classical European cooking. The Oxford Reference describes it as follows: "In classical French cuisine the term refers to a slice of meat spread with some sort of stuffing, rolled up, and braised." The name itself comes from the French verb rouler, to roll, and while France gave the concept its culinary terminology and prestige, versions of the rolled meat preparation appear across European traditions. Grokipedia documents 16th-century French court menus describing rouleaux de viande — elegant cylinders of poultry or veal stuffed with pistachios and truffles and glazed for dramatic effect — as part of the aristocratic banqueting tradition that defined Renaissance court cuisine, particularly under Medici influence. Grokipedia notes that "the modern concept of the roulade crystallized in 18th-century French cuisine," appearing in aristocratic menus as a refined rolled meat dish. The French paupiette — a thin slice of veal filled with vegetables or sweetmeats, tied and braised — represents the classical French form, while German Rouladen, documented in recipes as far back as the 1700s, fill the same format with mustard, bacon, onions, and pickles. Italian involtini (literally "little bundles") represent the same technique applied to veal or chicken with cheese and herbs. In each tradition the appeal is the same: rolling allows an inexpensive or lean cut to carry a richer, more complex filling, and slicing the cooked roll delivers a cross-section that presents beautifully on a plate.