Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine – many years ago!
Chicken breast stuffed with Parmesan and speck. Speck is a cured, air-dried ham similar to parma ham, which could also be used in this dish.
Serves : 4
Ingredients :
4 boneless chicken breasts, skinned
4 slices of speck or Parma ham
100g (4oz) fresh Parmesan, coarsely grated
4 tblsp flour
2 tblsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
50g (2oz) butter
300ml (1/2 pt) chicken stock
150g (5oz) fresh spinach leaves, shredded
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Step One : Cut down the length of the chicken breasts, without cutting completely in half, and open out. Place them on a chopping board, cover with clingfilm and beat with a rolling pin to flatten.
Step Two : Place a slice of speck or Parma ham on each piece of chicken and top with the Parmesan. Carefully reshape the breasts and coat in flour. Chill for 1 hour or until ready to cook.
Step Three : Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350oF / Gas Mark 4.
Step Four : Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish, pour over the stock and cover with foil. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Step Five : When the chicken is nearly ready, rinse the spinach and place in a pan with just the rinsing water on the leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.
Step Six : Transfer the spinach and tomatoes to serving plates and top with the chicken spooning over the juices in the dish.