Tarragon & almond chicken

Method

• step 1

  Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Pat each chicken breast dry with kitchen paper. Make three lengthways slits in the top of each breast, cutting halfway through the meat.

• step 2

  Cream the butter with the herbs until smooth, then blend in the almonds and a pinch of salt. Divide into 4 equal parts and spread one portion in the slits in each breast. Gently press the meat together to reform the shape.

• step 3

  Wrap the prosciutto well around each breast, overlapping the ends (you shouldn’t need cocktail sticks to secure it). Lay the parcels in an oiled ovenproof dish and cover loosely with a piece of buttered grease proof paper or foil. (The chicken breasts can be kept like this in the fridge for 2-8 hours, but let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking.)

• step 4

  Bake the chicken for 20 minutes, removing the butter paper or foil for the last 5 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to individual plates and spoon over the melted butter that has collected in the bottom of the dish. Scatter with extra tarragon and some freshly ground pepper.