Chicken, Pancetta Wrapped

Genuine Italian home cooking from Berta, who lives just outside of San Gimignano, Italy

Yield:
4 portions as part of a main (secondo) course
Category:
Chicken & Other Birds
Cuisine:
Italian
Prep Time:
20 min
Cooking Time:
20 min
Total Time:
40 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 chicken breasts, without tenders
  • 120 gr. unsalted butter
  • 16 to 20 slices of pancetta (or bacon) to completely wrap each breast
  • 3 sprigs each of fresh tarragon, savory and thyme
  • salt
  • pepper
  • olive oil for drizzling

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cut each chicken breast almost through, to make a large flat sheet. Place each breast on the counter. Cover with saran wrap and pound until approximately 1/2 cm thick.
  3. Prepare some herbed butter by striping the leaves off all the herbs, chopping the herbs finely and mixing them into the butter with a fork.

    Place a thick ridge of herbed butter on the middle of each breast and then roll the breasts up neatly.
  4. Cover each breast with pancetta. Start by cutting one pancetta strip in half and using it to cover the two ends. Wrap 4 more strips around the length of the breast. Drizzle the breasts with a little olive oil. Line a pie plate with parchment and place the breasts in it.
  5. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the breasts halfway through cooking.

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