Chicken Fillet Wrapped in Swiss Chard

Ingredients

• 750 g Swiss chard (8 large leaves)
• Salt
• 200 g whole grain rice
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1 bunch flat‑leaf parsley
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp Olive oil
• 800 g canned tomatoes (net weight)
• 400 g small chicken breast fillets (4 fillets)
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 4 tsp green pesto (jar)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash Swiss chard thoroughly, trim stems and cut the leaf stalks into wedges. Dice stems and stalks finely.

2. 2.

   Blanch Swiss chard leaves in boiling salted water for about 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon, shock in cold water, and drain on paper towels.

3. 3.

   Cook rice according to package instructions. Wash, trim, and dice spring onions.

4. 4.

   Rinse parsley and shake dry. Pull leaflets from stems and finely chop.

5. 5.

   Peel garlic and finely mince. Rinse thyme, shake dry, and pluck leaflets.

6. 6.

   Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté garlic and thyme for 2–3 minutes. Add tomatoes and crush slightly. Simmer on low heat until liquid evaporates.

7. 7.

   Meanwhile rinse chicken fillets, pat dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper. Heat rapeseed oil in a pan and sear fillets over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side. Remove.

8. 8.

   Add Swiss chard stems and stalks with spring onions to the pan fat and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly. Mix in parsley and pesto.

9. 9.

   Lay two Swiss chard leaves overlapping generously on each plate. Spread the vegetable‑pesto mixture over them.

10. 10.

    Place one chicken fillet on top of each leaf bundle, folding the leaves over the meat to form parcels.

11. 11.

    Steam the Swiss chard parcels in a steamer basket over boiling salted water at low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove and serve with tomato sauce and rice.