RECIPE: Parmesan Chicken Breasts With Crispy Posh Ham

Feb. 23, 2009— -- Chef Jamie Oliver cooked this dish for "Nightline" correspondent Nick Watt while Watt was interviewing Oliver for a broadcast profile about the celebrity chef. The verdict? Watt said it was "delicious. Fresh, flavorful and ready in five minutes flat."

PARMESAN CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CRISPY POSH HAM

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver

Serves 2

This is a great way to prepare chicken breasts. The texture of the crisp cooked prosciutto goes brilliantly with the tender chicken. Bashing the chicken out thinly before you start cooking means it cooks much faster than a regular chicken breast. If you can't get hold of prosciutto, then any kind of very thin ham, such as pancetta, Parma ham or even smoked streaky bacon will work just as well.

Ingredients:

30g Parmesan cheese

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 skinless chicken breasts, preferably free-range or organic

freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

6 slices of prosciutto

olive oil

To prepare your chicken:

Grate your Parmesan

Pick the thyme leaves off the stalks

Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife

Season with a little pepper (you don't need salt as the prosciutto is quite salty)

Lay the breasts next to each other and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves

Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan

Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly

Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves

Put a square of clingfilm over each breast and give them a few really good bashes with the bottom of a pan until they're about 1cm thick

To cook your chicken:

Put a frying pan over a medium heat

Remove the clingfilm and carefully transfer the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, into the pan

Drizzle over some olive oil

Cook for 3 minutes on each side, turning halfway through, giving the ham side an extra 30 seconds to crisp up

To serve your chicken:

Either serve the chicken breasts whole or cut them into thick slices and pile them on a plate

Serve with some lemon wedges for squeezing over, and a good drizzle of olive oil

Lovely with mashed potatoes and green veggies or a crunchy salad!