FLOWER POT KITCHEN: GOOEY CHEESE AND JAMMON STUFFED BUTTER CHICKEN

28 Jan 2016

GOOEY CHEESE AND JAMMON STUFFED BUTTER CHICKEN

Fabulous little twist on the classic chicken cordon bleu, over stuffed with a thick block of nutty Gruyere cheese wrapped in Parma ham, pan seared and basted in butter, no egg wash and breadcrumbs which I will admit do add that extra gorgeous nutty butter crispy coating, but by removing this not only is this gluten free but it is also a lot lower in calories and fat and still delivering that oozy gooey gorgeous cheese and ham chicken, I have pepped mine up with fresh hot red chillies, this is totally optional.

Prep Time 10 minutes / Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 organic chicken breasts

6 slices Parma Ham

200g Gruyere cheese

100g unsalted butter

Mixed salad to serve

Take each chicken breast and butterfly, slide the knife in the long side and slowly cut the chicken breast 3/4 of the way through to the other side so that you have a in effect two breasts joined in the centre, Lay out one sheet of clingfilm, place the chicken breast on top and cover with another sheet of clingfilm, now using a rolling pin gently bash the chicken until at least 50% bigger and the same thinness all over.

Cut the cheese in half long ways so that the block is tall, wrap with 3 slices of the Parma ham and place in the centre of one chicken breast, wrap over the other side of the chicken breast tucking in all edges in effect making a parcel.

To cook, pre heat a non stick pan to medium heat, melt the butter and then add the chicken seam side down first, leave well alone to sear and seal the chicken seam, this will take approx 3 minutes, turn and repeat on each side, using a spoon keep basting the breasts with butter from the pan, when you start to see some of the cheese wanting to ooze out, around 12 minutes, turn the heat down really low, pop a lid or plate on the pan and leave to tick over for another 3 minutes while you plate up your salad, then you are ready to serve.

No comments:

LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.