OUR hospital superchef Simon Smith brings you a delicious healthy Italian dish this week, Chicken Verona, which is packed with goodness. Simon, head chef at Tameside NHS hospital in Manchester, knows that chicken is the perfect dish for a protein boost. Please let him know how much you enjoyed his Chicken Verona by leaving a comment below. He loves reading your feedback.

Chicken Verona

SERVES: 2

PREPARATION TIME: 10mins

COOKING TIME: 15 – 20mins

Ingredients:

2 x 130g Chicken supremes (skinless, boneless & butterflied breasts)

30g Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese

100g Smoked Pancetta

3 Shallot Onions (fine diced)

60g Button Mushrooms (sliced)

1tsp Basil Pesto

2clv Garlic (pureed)

10g Unsalted Butter (melted)

10g Olive Oil

80ml Red Wine

100ml Chicken Stock

150ml Passata

Seasoning

Equipment Needed

Medium Sauté Pan

4 small bowls

Small Veg knife

Chopping Board

Deep roasting tray

Preparation

Prepare the garlic, mushrooms and onions and set to the side in bowls.

Place the garlic and herb cream cheese into a bowl and soften with a spoon. Lay the butterflied chicken supremes on the chopping board with the skin side down.

Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese along the middle of the chicken supreme.  Fold over the chicken on either side to encase the cream cheese. Wrap strips of pancetta around the supremes until each fillet is encased. Place on to a plate and season with cracked pepper. Place in the fridge for 5mins to rest.

In a small bowl combine the melted butter, oil and garlic. Pre heat the oven to 180C / Gas mark 4.

Pre heat the sauté pan on a medium hob setting, add the garlic infused oil to the pan. Remove the Supremes from the fridge and place in the sauté pan. Allow the chicken to sauté on each side for approx. 3 min each side.  Cover with a lid while cooking so not to burn the chicken. When the pancetta is sealed place the supremes into the roasting tray and place into the oven for an approx. 5mins.

While the supremes are cooking in the oven, to prepare the Verona sauce add the shallots to the sauté pan and cook until onions have slightly soften. Add the mushroom and cook until the mushrooms have softened. Stir the onions and mushrooms often so not to burn them.

Add the pesto and stir into the vegetables then add the red wine. Increase the heat to high and allow the wine to boil and reduce the liquid by half. To this add the chicken stock and cook until this liquid has also reduced by half. Reduce the heat and stir in the passata. Simmer for a further 5 mins.

Remove the chicken from the oven and check it is cooked thoroughly (do this by piercing the thickest part of the fillet to the middle with a sharp knife. If the juices are clear then the chicken is cooked. If not return supremes to the oven for an additional 5 mins.

Place the supreme on to a plate and coat in a layer of the Verona sauce.  Serve with garlic bread. Enjoy !!!!