From March 8-17, 2019, Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Downtown Dining Week (DTDW). This year, the 10-day event will include special fixed-price lunch, dinner and brunch menus from nearly 50 participating Downtown restaurants.

The Common‘s chef Jesse Morrison- Gauthier, who holds the record for hosting four Swine and Dine dinners, is featuring a spring chicken stuffed with ground pork and served with Swiss cheese, potato puree and beans as an option for his $30 DTDW dinner menu. The Common is always a favourite among DTDW diners, and with a gluten-free pork dish on the menu, you can be sure I’ll stopping it to try this three-course dinner:

Course 1 (choose one)
Goat Cheese Gratin –  leek, potato and beet juice (gluten free, vegetarian)
March Salad – beet, yam, sesame brittle, rocket, creme fresh, and pomegranate dressing (gluten free, vegetarian)
Beef Sashimi – rib eye, morels, popcorn, and miso vinaigrette

Course 2 (choose one)
Moroccan Stew – chickpea stew with arancini, pickled cabbage, and grill bread (vegetarian, gluten free bread avail)
Spring Chicken – stuffed with ground pork, Swiss cheese, with potato puree and beans (gluten free)

Course 3
Banana Split – Brûléed banana, pineapple ice cream, brownie, and strawberry coulis (gluten free, vegetarian)

THE COMMON’S SPRING CHICKEN STUFFED WITH GROUND PORK
Swiss cheese, with potato puree and beans
Serves two

Chef Morrison- Gauthier happily shared his recipe for his pork-stuffed chicken. Pop into The Common from March 8 – 17, 2019 for a taste of the original, which is sure to taste best with one of the Common’s signature cocktails.

What you’ll need…

2-6 ounce chicken breasts, skin on
1 cup ground pork
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp red wine vinegar

2 slices Emmental cheese

1 large starchy potato such as russet
1 small leek
3 tsp salted butter

½ cup canned kidney beans
¼ cup blanched green beans
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup blanched corn niblets
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp first press (also known as cold-pressed) Alberta canola oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the chicken

Pre heat oven to 420 degrees F

Cut a pocket into the chicken breast by horizontally slicing into the side and unfold the chicken.

Combine the ground pork with all the spices, herbs, sugar and vinegar. Mix well so all the ingredients are combined. Making small patties, put the ground pork onto the bottom fold of chicken making sure the ground pork is tucked nicely inside.

Lay the slice of Emmental cheese on top of the ground pork and close the remaining flap on top.

Heat a frying pan up with 1 tbsp canola oil and sear the chicken breast on both sides. Finish in oven with a weight on top of the chicken breasts and cook until the internal temperature reaches 170f / 70 c.

For the potato puree

Cut and dice the leek and rinse thoroughly then sweat in a small sauce pan with 1 tsp butter until soft.

Peel and dice potato while leeks are sweating then add to small sauce pan, fill with water to just cover and cook until fork tender. Once potatoes are fork tender remove from heat and let stand five minutes.

Drain all water and transfer to a food processor and blend while still hot adding the 2-remaining tsp of butter in slowly. Season with salt to taste.

For the Beans

Combine all beans, corn, tomatoes in a large bowl and marinate in sherry vinegar. Chop fresh parsley and combine with bean salad and add first press canola, s 7 p and toss in bowl.

For plating: lay down potato puree first, then bean salad, once chicken is cooked slice into medallions and place on top of bean salad. Deglaze frying pan with some of the juice from the bean salad and drizzle pan juice atop chicken. Enjoy!