Sunday 18 May 2008

Chicken Wrapped in Bacon and Cheese

Chicken Thigh


Chicken breast













Ingredients

1. One piece of chicken breast – Rub breast with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground mixed pepper.

2. Mixed cheese of your choice

3. One piece ordinary ham

4. Basil leaves roughly torn

5. Sea salt and freshly ground mixed pepper

6. Streaky bacon

Preparation
1. Season cheese with mixed pepper and torn basil leaves. Mix well, place on cling film, squeeze tightly, make knots at both ends and place in fridge for about an hour.

2. Slit chicken breast, tuck in cheese, wrap with ham and secure with toothpicks.

3. Pan on medium heat, a drop of oil. Oil will exude from bacon and chicken skin.

4. Pre-heat oven on maximum and place tray to cook the chicken in later.

5. Place chicken on a hot pan and brown gently on all sides, less than seven minutes.

6. Dish up and place in oven.

7. Chicken is cooked when firm to the touch. Do not be tempted to slice chicken lest the cheese oozes out.

Sauce
1. Add some stock from the cooked vegetables after the chicken had been removed from the pan.

2. Scrape off any burnt bits; they add character to the sauce.

3. Heat up gently; add a knob of butter into the sauce before serving.

4. No seasoning needed as the fat residue from the bacon would be salty.

5. Prepare sauce only when chicken is resting.


Note:

It is not really necessary to flatten the chicken breast before adding the cheese.

Cook it as is but be mindful of securing all edges to prevent cheese from oozing out during the cooking process.

Use as many toothpicks as required to secure the chicken piece.

Make sure that you remove all the toothpicks before serving.

Serve on a warm plate.