Food Wine Sleep

Ingredients List

1.5 cups dried white beans (any nice dried bean can be substituted i.e. Great Northern, Borlotti, etc.)
4 chicken breasts (breast bone removed, wing bone attached and skin on)
A few sprigs of thyme (leaves picked)
A few sprigs of rosemary (leaves picked)
A few sprigs of flat leaf parsley (leaves picked)
A few sprigs of fresh oregano (leaves picked)
Sea salt flakes
3 cups chicken stock
Black pepper corn mill
Extra virgin olive oil
80 grams (3 oz) thin sliced prosciutto
Juice of 2 lemons
3 cloves of garlic

Recipe Description

This dish is on the top of my list for summer entertaining dishes. It sits there proudly for a couple of reasons, firstly, it's always a crowd pleaser and secondly, most of the work is done the day before! Unlike many dishes that deteriorate from being prepped too early, this recipe benefits from it. The beans need to be soaked for at least 24 hours and the herbs will permeate the chicken better if marinated longer rather than shorter. In addition doing all the work so far in advance will once again leave you more time to entertain and enjoy the summer weather for yourself. Bon apatite.

Method Description

Soak beans in water over night.
Place the thyme, rosemary and parsley into a mortar and pestle with a little sea salt, black pepper and 1 tsp lemon juice and grind to a smooth consistency.
Add a little olive oil and rub the chicken breasts with this mix.
In a tray or dish that will be large enough to accommodate the 4 breasts add some olive oil.
Then gently add the chicken until they are all submerged.
Add the garlic and place in the fridge overnight.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 fahrenheit).
Drain and rinse the beans well.
Chop prosciutto and cook it in a pan until crispy.
Remove the chicken from the oil and allow to drain.
Place the beans in a saucepan with the stock and simmer for 35 minutes or until aldente, (you may need to add water depending on the type of bean used).
Drain the beans and place them in a large mixing bowl.
In a non-stick fry pan sear the chicken over med-high heat until firmly crusted with the herb mixture.
Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof dish and bake for a further 7 minutes.
Add the crispy prosciutto, oregano, lemon juice and a good drizzle of extra virgin to the beans, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken with bean salad and a nice white such as a relatively young Sauvignon Blanc.