Preparation Time : 20 mins
Deep Frying Time : 15-20 mins
Ingredients :
4 large chicken breasts skinned and boned
sale and black pepper
4 slices Gruyere Cheese
4 slices Ham
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg
100g/4 0z dried breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for deep fat frying
To Garnish : Flat leaf sprigs and 1 lemon
Ingredient Tip : Gruyere is a great melting cheese and perfect for this dish. Emmenthal, another swiss cheese, can also be used. Both have a mild taste which becomes fuller flavoured when cooked
Preparation :
- Slice the chicken breasts in half and season. Lay the cheese slices onto four pieces, top each with a slice of ham and cover with remaining chicken halves. Secure with cocktail sticks
- Put the flour on a plate. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Put the dried breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl
- Dip the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip in the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs, making sire that each chicken piece is completely covered. Pat the crumbs well
- Heat the oil for deep fat frying to 190c/375F. Deep fry the chicken (in two batches if necessary) for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove form the oil, drain on kitchen paper towels
- Leave the parsley sprigs whole and finely chop. Cut lemon into wedges. Garnish the chicken with the parsley and the lemon wedges
Cooking Tip : To get a really thick, even coating around food to be deep-fried, egg and breadcrumb it twice. Coat one, as in the recipe, put in the fridge and leave for 30 minutes. Dip again in egg and roll again in breadcrumbs. Chill for another 30 minutes then deep fry as instructed
Serving Suggestion : Serve with Rosti, thick crunchy pancake of grated potato