Ingredients
150 g unsalted butter, chopped, softened
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra leaves, to garnish
Salt and pepper, to season
4 x 150 g skinless chicken breast fillets
¼ cup rice flour
2 eggs
5 slices gluten-free multigrain bread, made into fine breadcrumbs, see method below
20 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50 g mozzarella, thinly sliced
350 g vine-ripened truss tomatoes
gluten-free basil pesto, to serve
Method
- Put butter, garlic, parsley and basil in a large bowl. Mix with a fork to combine. Season with pepper.
- Spoon mixture into centre of a 20cm square piece of baking paper. Roll into a log to enclose butter mixture, twisting ends to seal. Freeze for 20 minutes or until firm.
- Make a deep cut along 1 side of each chicken breast to form a large pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Remove butter mixture from freezer and unwrap. Cut log into slices. Divide slices between chicken fillets, pushing them firmly into each pocket and slightly overlapping. Refold chicken to enclose slices. Season all over.
- Put flour on a large dinner plate. Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Put breadcrumbs on a second plate and stir through parmesan.
- Press both sides of 1 chicken fillet into flour to coat then dip in egg. Firmly press fillet into breadcrumb mixture. Turn over and press again until fillet is well coated in crumbs. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, flour, eggs and breadcrumb mixture.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Pour ½ of the oil into a large frying pan. Heat over a medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in 2 batches, for 3 minutes each side or until golden, adding remaining oil when cooking second batch. Transfer chicken to prepared tray. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella.
- Arrange tomatoes around chicken on tray. Roast for a further 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, cheese has melted and tomatoes just begin to burst.
- Dollop chicken with a little pesto, sprinkle with extra basil and serve with more pesto on the side.
- Put 3 slices of bread at a time into the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse several times until desired consistency is reached.
- Tada! Your homemade breadcrumbs are ready for this recipe.