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Acing the Taste Test

The chefs were required to write up recipes for each dish they cooked — a step competitors on Iron Chef are spared.

Southwestern Chicken Roulade

with Mushrooms, Fresh Corn, Roasted Red Peppers, and Manchego Cheese, Served with Roasted Corn and Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

Marinade
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle peppers
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 (3-4 pound) chicken, boned, legs and wings removed, flattened to 1/4-inch
thickness (or the equivalent amount of boned, flattened chicken breasts)

Stuffing
2 cups assorted mushrooms—white, shiitake, and oyster—coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ears fresh corn
2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 1 to 1-1/2 cups
prepared roasted peppers)
1/2 cup Manchego cheese, grated
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably fresh, but dried would do)

Salsa
2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 1 to 1-1/2 cups
prepared roasted peppers)
2 ears fresh corn
6 tomatillos, husked
1 jalapeño pepper
salt

Instructions

Marinade
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and coat it with marinade. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Stuffing
Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are brown and all the liquid has been absorbed. (Sauté in batches if necessary.) Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushrooms to a sheet pan and let them cool.

Place all 4 ears of corn on a grill and roast until golden brown. When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs and divide into halves. Reserve one half for the salsa.

To assemble the stuffing, combine the sautéed mushrooms, 2 of the red peppers, parsley, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Toss to combine; adjust seasoning.

Salsa
Place tomatillos on a piece of foil and seal the packet. Place the foil on a grill or in a hot oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Roast the jalapeño until it is slightly blistered. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Using gloves, remove the seeds and place the jalapeño in a blender with the roasted tomatillos. Purée until smooth.

Add the remaining 2 red peppers and the reserved corn kernels to the jalapeño/tomatillo purée. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the marinated chicken on a large double layer of plastic wrap. Spread the stuffing mixture over the chicken, leaving a 1-inch border at the end. Carefully roll the chicken into a roulade, securing it with the plastic wrap by twisting the ends. Let chill for 1 hour.

Put remaining oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove the roulade from the plastic wrap and place it in the pan with the seam side down. Sear the roulade until the bottom is golden brown, then continue cooking until it is golden brown all over. Remove the roulade and place it on an oiled sheet pan. Transfer it to the oven until the roulade’s internal temperature is 165 degrees.

When finished, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Slice and place on a platter. Serve with the salsa on the side.