This was an off-the-cuff experiment, but I must say when served it elicited table-wide approval. It is so simple and stress-free to make, but really is a crowd pleaser. From a cooking perspective, there was something wonderfully liberating about having chicken with breadcrumbs that didn't involve "breadcrumbing", with flour, egg, breadcrumbs and then the inevitable frying. It was simplicity itself.
Ingredients (serves 2):
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, and trimmed of any fat
1.5 cups dry breadcrumbs (like panko)
1 tablespoon or thereabouts of olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
6 thin slices of pancetta
Salt and pepper
1/2 pack of garlic Boursin cheese, or any soft cheese like le roule
Method:
Take the Boursin or whatever soft cheese you are using out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to use it. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees centigrade. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the olive oil, fresh parsley and salt and pepper. Take a frying pan and place on a high heat. Cut the pancetta slices into about 1cm strips and throw into a hot pan. You want the fat to render down and to become nice and crispy. After a few minutes remove from the pan and mix into the breadcrumb mixture. Take a rolling pin or meat tenderiser and bash the chicken out to about 1cm uniform thickness. Grease a baking tray and place the chicken breasts on the tray. Using a palette knife spread the soft cheese onto the tops of the chicken breasts. You want a layer about 1/2cm thick, but of course it's up to you. On top of this, add the breadcrumbs, either with a dessert spoon or your hands. You want to press the breadcrumbs down so that they stick a little better (the soft cheese acts as a wonderful glue for the breadcrumbs). Again you want about 1/2cm thick layer of breadcrumbs, or until they are nicely coated. The cheese and breadcrumb topping should completely cover the top side of the chicken. Place in a baking tray and bake for around 20 minutes, but keep checking it. Flattened chicken breast can easily overcook, so keep a beady eye on it. You also want to ensure the parsley in the breadcrumbs doesn't brown up or burn.
I served mine with french fries and a simple green salad. Unfortunately I couldn't face taking a picture because I just wanted to eat it as soon as possible! When I post a picture is when I've made it again and managed to contain myself long enough to click a button!
