Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Bacon
Chicken breasts with a pocket of sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and onion, wrapped on the outside in smoked bacon. A striking, flavourful dish in 40 minutes.
Two tricks work together. The sun-dried tomatoes are soaked in white wine rather than water: they give the wine nothing, they take it up, and the whole filling gains depth. And the bacon is not decoration — as it cooks it gives its fat to the lean chicken breast and keeps it juicy, while it turns crisp itself.
Go easy on the salt: bacon and grated cheese bring plenty of their own.
You will also need: wooden toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boned and skinless
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in white wine and chopped
- 3 tbsp grated cheese
- 2 tbsp onion, sliced
- 8 rashers of smoked bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- 1
Preparing the meat: cut a lengthwise slit in each breast to form a pocket, taking care not to cut all the way through.
- 2
The filling: soften the onion in a pan with oil or butter until golden. In a bowl, mix the onion with the chopped soaked tomatoes and the grated cheese.
- 3
Assembling: fill each breast with the mixture. Wrap each one in two rashers of smoked bacon and secure with wooden toothpicks to hold it closed.
- 4
Cooking: season lightly (bearing in mind how salty the bacon is) and cook at a moderate 170-180 °C for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp.