Stuffed Apricot Chicken

Serves 4

1 cup cooked Basmati Rice

½ cup dried apricots, small diced

1 teaspoon salt-reduced chicken-style stock powder

¼ cup shallots, sliced

1 ½ tablespoons Thai chilli stir fry paste

4 chicken breasts

Toothpicks

Cooking spray

SAUCE:

½ teaspoon crushed ginger

¼ cup brandy

1 cup apricot nectar

1 teaspoon salt-reduced chicken style stock powder

2 teaspoons cornflour

¼ cup water

Preheat oven 180C fan forced. Combine rice, apricots, stock powder, shallots, and chilli paste together. 

Using a sharp knife, make a pocket lengthways inside each  chicken breast (don’t cut all the way through)! Use your fingers to widen and open the hole to allow for filling. Spoon a quarter of the mixture into each breast pocket.  Push filling deep into breast, then seal opening with toothpicks.   

Place chicken onto a baking tray that has been generously coated with cooking spray.  Bake 25-30 mins or until chicken is cooked through.

TO MAKE SAUCE:

In a small saucepan that has been coated with cooking spray, sauté ginger for 15 seconds, add brandy.  Using a whisk, stir in apricot nectar and stock powder. Blend cornflour with water and whisk into pot, bring to boil. Pour a quarter of sauce over top of each chicken breast.

VARIATION:

To make mango chicken, replace dried apricots with dried mango, and apricot nectar with mango nectar.