Happee Monkee

Bocconcini means “Little Mouthfuls” in Italian – to be exact, little mouthfuls of soft, elastic, very moist and chewy egg-shaped balls. Best eaten torn up with some tomatoes, basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, the flavorsome marriage is a remarkable one. The way to store bocconcini is to keep refrigerated at 4°C in its own brine, and replace liquid with cooled boiled water with a pinch of salt every couple of days.

Once past the expiry date, you should remove from liquid and dry on a plate in the fridge to be used as a good melting cheese for cooking. And in this case, wrapped in a lovely piece of chicken, with a bit of prosciutto and basil. Simply superb!

Prosciutto Basil & Bocconcini Chicken Parcels ( serves 4 )
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Ingredients

• 4 large (about 125g each) free-range chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
• 4 bocconcini, quartered
• 4 large fresh basil leaves
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the chicken, boned-side up, on a clean work surface.
2. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Place each fillet with two pieces of the bocconcini and a basil leaf. Roll up firmly to enclose filling.
4. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each chicken parcel and secure with a toothpick.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken parcels and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from heat and transfer to a roasting pan.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Remove from oven. Cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
9. Slice and serve with cherry tomatoes, wild rocket leaves and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

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