Chicken Caesar Salad with @lilydalechicken

Since Babe asked for a really good Caesar salad, I thought I better elevate it slightly from my usual recipe. This time I’ve used premium free range chicken thigh fillets from @lilydalechicken and made a chicken ballotine stuffed with a chicken mousse and served with dressed baby gem, parmesan cream and one large crouton. Recipe below. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients
– 1 pack of 4 Lilydale Free Range Chicken Thigh Fillets
– 1 egg
– 6 anchovies
– 210ml (1 cup) cream
– 60g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
– 1 clove garlic
– 1 small baguette, 10cm (4 inches) long
– 60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
– juice of 1 lemon
– 2 tsp Dijon mustard
– 30g (1 oz) butter
– 2 heads baby gem lettuce, leaves picked and washed
– salt, to taste

Methord
1. Start by making the chicken and anchovy mousse. Take 2 of the chicken thighs and the anchovies, and add them to a food processor along with 1 egg and 3g of salt. Blend for 1 minute, then add 60ml (4 tablespoons) of cream and blend again for another minute until smooth. Transfer the chicken mousse into a piping bag.
2. Take the remaining 2 chicken thighs and pound them flat using a meat mallet, being careful to keep them intact. Season lightly with salt on both sides. Working with one thigh at a time, place them smooth side down onto cling film (plastic wrap). Pipe 3 lines of the chicken mousse into the centre of each thigh, just enough to fill the thigh once rolled.
3. Carefully bring the cling film up and over the mousse to completely cover it with the flattened chicken thigh. Roll tightly by holding both ends of the cling film and rolling the ballotine away from you. Tie the ends securely. Place the chicken ballotine into a vacuum-sealed bag (or seal tightly using a zip-lock bag, removing as much air as possible).
4. Cook the chicken ballotine in a water bath (sous-vide) at 65°C (150°F) for 2 hours.
5. Add 150ml (½ cup) cream and 50g (1¾ oz) of finely grated Parmesan to a small pot, along with 1 clove of garlic, finely grated. Place over low heat, stirring often, until the cheese has completely melted. Blend with a stick blender, season with a pinch of salt, then pass the mixture through a sieve. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
6. Slice the baguette into 10cm (4 inch) long pieces, then cut lengthways into slices 4mm (⅛ inch) thick. Rub with olive oil and season with salt on both sides. Place on a baking tray, cover with another tray, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. You want the croutons golden brown and perfectly crisp.
7. Add 50ml (3 tablespoons) of olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard with a pinch of salt into a jar. Shake well to combine.
8. Once the chicken ballotine has finished cooking, remove it from the vacuum bag and pat dry. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and once hot, sear the ballotine on all sides, finishing with foamy butter. Let it rest for 5 minutes before carving.
9. Place 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cream in the centre of each plate. Dress the washed baby gem leaves with the Dijon dressing and arrange on one side of the plate. Place the crouton in the centre over the cream.
10. Slice the chicken ballotine by removing the ends and cutting at an angle. Place the slices on top of the crouton.
11. Grate some fresh Parmesan over the baby gem lettuce and serve. Enjoy!