Tarragon & almond chicken

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Tarragon is a perfect partner to chicken, and this dish will taste fabulous served outside on a summery day, with crusty bread to mop up the melted butter…

Prep:40 mins
Cook:20 mins

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 311
fat 17g
saturates 8g
carbs 1g
sugars 0g
fibre 1g
protein 39g
salt 1.05g

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
50g slightly salted butter, softened
1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon, plus extra for scattering
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp finely snipped fresh chives
25g ground almonds
4 large thin slices of prosciutto

Method

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.
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.
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.)
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.