Toasted Almond Chicken Roulade in Orange Cream Sauce

What I love about this gorgeous chicken dish packed with sexy flavor is it’s seasonal flexibility. For winter months, it presents a cheerful addition to any meal on a gloomy winter day. It’s perfect special occasions like Christmas or Easter. Also, a total winner and stunner for any family special occasion.

Boneless chicken breasts are lightly marinated with mild yellow mustard then rolled up around a mixture of toasted almond leaves, fresh chopped dill and orange zest. The chicken roulade is then skillet-simmered in an orange cream white wine sauce. Reduce the calories and fat by using Half & Half or a lighter version of the heavy cream.

Toasting the almonds makes all the difference in flavor. Don’t skip this step. It only takes a few minutes to do. The result is a light flavor combination that together packs a punch. You can pair this with a simple salad in summer or a side of butter noodles in the colder months.

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Toasted Almond Chicken Roulade in Orange Cream Sauce

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, German

Keyword Chicken Roulade

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 6 large boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons mild yellow mustard
• 1 cup blanched almond leaves
• 2 oranges plus some extra orange slices for garnish, if desired
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill plus some sprigs for garnish if desired.
• 2 medium yellow or white onions
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry with a paper towel. Pound them flat. you don't want to pound them as flat as a schnitzel cut, but flat enough to fill and roll.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Use a pastry brush to coat the chicken breasts on the inner side with the mild mustard and set the seasoned chicken aside for 10 minutes.
4. Place the blanched almond leaves in a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Stir the almonds frequently until they start to brown. Remove and set aside. Warning - do not turn your back on the toasted almonds. They can burn very quickly.
6. Rinse the oranges and pat dry. Zest both oranges and juice them. Reserve the juice. In a small bowl, mix the toasted almond leaves with the orange zest and the freshly chopped dill. You may want to reserve a few tablespoons of toasted almonds for garnish.
7. Divide the mixture between the chicken breasts, coating the top sides of each.
8. Roll the chicken breasts up individually. Tie each of them up with kitchen twine.
9. Peel the onions and cut into small pieces.
10. Heat the unsalted butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook the onions, stirring frequently until they become transparent.
11. Add the white wine and the orange juice to the pan, stirring constantly. Season the sauce with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and the white granulated sugar.
12. When the sauce is simmering, place the chicken rolls in the pan, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 -15 minutes or until the meat is completely cooked.
13. Transfer the chicken rolls from the skillet to a warm serving plate. Cover the plate with aluminum foil and store in a warm place.
14. Slowly add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thin, stir in all-purpose flour or cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time.
15. Remove the chicken rolls from their warm place. discard the aluminum foil. Remove the kitchen twine from each roll and discard. Pour the creamy orange sauce over the top.
16. If you like, garnish with orange slices, dill springs, and toasted almonds and serve.