Shelly's Recipe

GRILLED STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH HAM AND GRUYERE

Category: Poultry I

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Table salt
Vegetable oil for cooking grate
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 oz. gruyere cheese
4 slices ham (about 2 oz.)
Ground black pepper

Remove butter from refrigerator and allow to soften on the counter-top. Trim and access fat or skin from the chicken breasts. Cut a pocket in each breast. Start on the thicker-side of the chicken, slicing horizontally leaving a 1/2 inch attached to hold the butter and melting cheese.

In a medium bowl, dissolve 3 tbsp. of table salt in 1 quart of cold water. Brine the chicken breasts in refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

Light a full chimney starter of charcoal (roughly 100 briquettes), allowing about 25-minutes for the coals to fully ignite. Dump coals over half of grill, leaving the other half empty to form two distinct heating zones. Replace cooking grate, clean, and then season the grate by dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil, then use tons to wipe grate with oil.

With the charcoal starts, cut the cheese into four 3x1/2 inch sticks. Roll each stick cheese with a slice ham.

Mince your shallot (you should have about 3 tbsp.) and chop your thyme, add to small bowl along with the Dijon mustard and the softened butter, mix. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, and dry the inside and the outside using paper towels. Sprinkle with ground pepper. Spread 1/4 of the butter mixture inside the pocket of each breast. Put ham-wrapped cheese inside each breast and fold over to enclose. Wrap with three 12 inch pieces of kitchen twine. Tie using a simple double-know, then trim away any excess twine.

Start grilling the chicken, skin side down, over the hot side of grill. Cook for 5 minutes, and then flip a cook the other wide until it is slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Finish cooking the chicken on the cool side of grill (position so that the thicker end of the chicken is closer to the fire. Cover and cook for 25 more minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken from is 165 degrees. Tent with foil on carving board, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut away twine. Carve breast meat away from bone using a boning knife to follow the contour of the bone. Slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve. Serves 4