1. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Prepare ham
and mozzarella stuffing: Cut ham slices into 4 pieces the same
size as mozzarella slices. Strip basil leaves from stems,
reserving 4 sprigs for decoration; chop half of basil leaves and
set aside for sauce. Set a piece of ham on top of a mozzarella
slice. Lay 2 - 3 basil leaves on top and cover with another
slice of mozzarella. There should be 4 packages.
2. Butter a medium baking dish. Turn breasts
skinned side down and strip tendon from center of each one,
stroking with tip a sharp knife to remove it cleanly. Reserve
loose strip of fillet meat that comes off with it. Turn breasts
skinned side up. Cut a horizontal pocket, working the whole
length of each breast and taking care not to cut all the way
through.
3. Stuff each pocket with a ham and
mozzarella package and then the reserved strip of meat, tucking
it to seal the gap. Set chicken breasts skinned side up in a
buttered baking dish. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, cover
tightly with foil and bake in heated oven until done, 30 - 35
minutes.
4. When chicken is almost done, make salpicon:
Heat olive oil in a small saucepan and stir in chopped tomato
and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
5. When chicken breasts are done, slice them
horizontally and arrange in a fan on individual plates to show
stuffing. Stir reserved basil into salpicon, spoon some over
breasts and top with a basil sprig. Serve remaining salpicon
separately.
Quick Fix
I often rely on the crisp vegetables and
energetic seasonings of a good stir fry to revive cooked chicken
breast: Cut chicken breasts in thin strips. For every 2 cups/375
g/3/4 lb cooked meat, mix 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2
tablespoons Chinese rice wine, a pinch of sugar and 2 teaspoons
cornstarch. Mix with chicken and leave to marinate.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok. Add 6
chopped scallions, 2 small dried chili peppers, a l-inch/2.5-cm
piece fresh ginger, finely chopped and l garlic clove, finely
chopped. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add l/2
lb/250 g trimmed snow peas and stir fry until beginning to
soften, about l minute.
Drain chicken pieces, reserving marinade, and
add to wok. Stir fry until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add
marinade to wok, stirring constantly until marinade thickens and
coats chicken and peas. Discard chili peppers, taste for
seasoning and serve at once. Serves 4.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's
Cook It Right (Reader's Digest,
1998). To order a copy of Cook It Right, call
1-800-788-6262.
