Recipes with SATS: Chicken Ballotine with Pommes Anna & Truffle Jus Perfect for Your Christmas Dinner

Like most people around the world, Chef Eric Baudru, Executive Sous Chef at SATS (First Class Kitchen), looks forward to celebrating Christmas, a season all about creating special memories around the dinner table.

Eric has been a professional chef for more than 30 years now, starting in France and travelling around the world before calling Singapore home. Growing up, Chef Eric always anticipates the joy of sitting around the Christmas table with dishes like salmon, beef, foie gras, champagne, and a Yule log.

Chef Eric Baudru, Executive Sous Chef, SATS Inflight Catering Centre 2 (First Class Kitchen)

This year, Chef Eric is sharing a recipe close to his heart: Chicken Ballotine with Pommes Anna and Truffle Jus, a dish that is sophisticated yet simple enough to be replicated by anyone who wants to add a bit of French flair to their Christmas spread.

About the recipe

The highlight of this dish is the chicken ballotine—chicken thigh rolled with chicken mousse and morel mushrooms. While it’s relatively easy to make, the dish requires some time to prepare. “It’s a dish that requires patience, but it honours the joy of food and family,” Chef Eric explains.

Ballotine is a dish his mom used to make. “Each year, she would make one, but always with a twist on the filling,” he reminisces.

‘Ballotine’ comes from the French word ’balle’ meaning ‘a bundle’

Chef Eric’s chicken ballotine uses premium ingredients like morel mushrooms (filling) and truffles (sauce), two highly sought ingredients in French cuisine as they have a limited growing window but with a unique flavour.

“I use morel and truffles for this chicken ballotine because they introduce a depth of flavour to improve the dish,” Chef Eric explains. But do not worry if you cannot find such ingredients; Chef Eric suggests using substitute ingredients, such as shiitake or oyster for morel mushrooms. “This recipe is flexible and can be made with whatever ingredients you have,” he adds.

Serve the chicken ballotine with pommes Anna (crispy layered potatoes), pumpkin pickle, and rich truffle jus.

Chicken Ballotine with Pommes Anna and Truffle Jus

Prep Time: 3-4 hours | Serves: 5

Chicken Ballotine

Part 1. Chicken Mousse

Ingredients

• 180g chicken breast, diced
• 180g whipping cream
• 3g salt
• 2g white pepper

Method

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

Part 2. Morel Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 60g dried morel mushrooms, washed thoroughly
• 15g butter
• 8g shallots, diced
• white wine to deglaze

Chef’s Tip

To clean dried morels, soak them in water for 20 minutes, rinse three times, and drain for 10 minutes to remove grit and ensure safety.

Method

1. Sauté mushrooms with butter and shallots.
2. Deglaze with white wine and cook until it evaporates.
3. Let cool and mix with 120g chicken mousse.

Part 3. Cabbage

Ingredient

• 120g Savoy cabbage, blanched

Method

1. Place the blanched cabbage on a clean sheet of cling film.
2. Spread the chicken mousse and morel mixture on top of the cabbage.
3. Roll it and set aside.

Roll the cabbage with the chicken mousse and morel mixture

Part 4. Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

• 150g pumpkin
• 25g butter
• 2g salt
• 2g white pepper
• 50g water

Method

1. Cook the pumpkin slowly until soft, then blend until smooth.

2. Mix the pumpkin puree with the remaining chicken mousse. Set aside.

Part 5. Ballotine

Ingredients

• 380g chicken thighs
• 3g salt
• 2g white pepper

Method

1. Place the chicken thighs flat on a sheet of cling film.
2. Spread chicken mousse with pumpkin puree on top. Then place the cabbage roll in the centre.
3. Roll tightly, like a maki roll, and set aside.
4. Steam the ballotine in an oven or pot at 100°C for 25 minutes. Once cooked, remove the cling film carefully.
5. Sear the ballotine in a pan until evenly golden brown on all sides. Slice and serve immediately.

Spread the chicken mousse with pumpkin puree on top of the chicken thigh before putting the cabbage roll

Pommes Anna with Crème Fraiche & Chives

Part 1. Pommes Anna

Ingredients

• 500g russet potatoes
• 120g melted butter
• 5g salt
• 3g white pepper 

Tool

• Small aluminium foil mould: 2cm high, 18cm long, 12cm wide

Method

1. Using a brush, coat the inside of the aluminium foil mould evenly with melted butter.
2. Slice the potatoes thinly (1mm-thick). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix the remaining melted butter with the seasoned potato slices.
4. Neatly layer the potato slices in the foil mould, creating even layers.
5. Bake at 178°C for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool.
6. Once cool, cut into serving portions.
7. Deep fry until golden brown.

Portion the pommes Anna into serving sizes before deep frying

Part 2. Crème Fraiche & Chives

Ingredients

• 140g crème fraiche
• 2g salt
• 1g white pepper
• 10g chopped chives

Method

1. Mix all ingredients above.
2. Serve the pommes Anna with crème fraiche and chives.

Chef’s Tip

Prepare the pommes Anna the night before, store in the fridge, and deep fry just before serving to ensure maximum crispness.

Pumpkin Pickle

Ingredients

• 450g butternut pumpkin
• 60g white vinegar
• 30g white sugar
• 30g water

Method

1. Cut a 50g round shape from the butternut pumpkin using a ring mould. Blanch it in boiling water until cooked through. Set aside.
2. Using a small pomme parisienne tool, scoop out small balls of pumpkin, approximately 1g per ball.
3. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the pumpkin balls. Let cool.

Chef’s Tip

Use leftover pumpkin trimmings to make the puree (see above) to minimise wastage.

Truffle Jus

Truffle jus as a sauce for the chicken ballotine

Ingredients

• 40g truffle paste
• 100g chicken jus

Method

1. Combine truffle paste and chicken jus in a pan. Heat gently to create a rich sauce for the chicken ballotine.

Chef’s Tip

Experiment with alternative proteins for the ballotine, such as lamb, turkey, or fish, and personalise the filling to your taste.

Pair this dish with a glass of Sancerre Blanc 2022 or Pouilly Fumé.

Merry Christmas and Bon Appétit!