CHEESE STUFFED CRISPY PAN FRIED CHICKEN

Oozy gooey crispy butter pan fried chicken breast stuffed with three cheeses and jammon serrano.

This is a family favourite and it’s amazing how much cheese you can actually stuff inside a chicken breast!  Simple to make and sure to be a winner dinner.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

(serves 2)

1 glug olive oil

30g salted butter with 10g reserved

2 large chicken breasts

100g fresh grated mozzarella 

100g fresh grated medium cheddar

100g fresh grated red Leicester cheese

4 slices jammon serrano torn into pieces 

1 red serrano chilli sliced optional

2 eggs beaten

100g flour (for gluten free use gram flour)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4  tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper

1 pinch sea salt

Good glug of rapeseed oil

Pre heat your oven 180 C / 354 F.

Take the fillet of the back of the chicken breast and trim of the membrane, leave to one side, take the chicken breast and holding the thickest part at the top on the right side slide a paring knife into the breast towards the center making sure not to pierce through the breast.  Gently move the knife side to side and up and down cutting the inside pocket wider and deeper, go as close to the inside edges of the breast as you dare!

Mix the three cheese with the jammon and stuff as much as you can into the pocket, then cut the reserved chicken fillet to the size of the hole and stuff into the hole at the top of the breast to create a plug.

Place the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl or tray and season, gently whisk the flour, onion and garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper and dried thyme.

Dust the chicken in the flour, then dip in the egg and coat all over then back into the flour making sure the whole breast is coated.

(If you want to deep fry these, I would at this point dip back into the egg and then coat in panko breadcrumbs and deep fry at 180 C for 6-8 minutes).

Heat a oven proof pan medium hot, add the butter and a glug olive oil, place the chicken in the pan and leave to sear for around 3-4 minutes on each side, turning only once to ensure that crispy crust.  Add the reserved butter to the pan and once melted baste he chicken several times.  Pop the pan in the oven for 5 minutes to ensure the cheese is fully melted.

Leave to rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Enjoy.