Crispy Pesto Chicken

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 x 5-oz skinless boneless chicken breasts 

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 

• 3 large eggs  

  Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy Jamie Oliver

• 8 oz white or whole-grain bread 

• 4 heaping teaspoons green pesto 

• 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS 

GET AHEAD: Use a sharp knife to carefully cut each chicken breast in half through the middle to give you two thin flat pieces (you can ask your butcher to do this for you, if you like). Sprinkle the flour into a shallow bowl or pan, then beat the eggs in another. Tear the bread into a food processor, add the pesto and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, blitz into crumbs, then tip into a pan. Now get a production line going, turning each piece of chicken in the flour until evenly coated, then dipping in the egg, letting any excess drip off. Finally turn the chicken in the pesto crumbs, taking a moment to flatten each piece on a board with your palm, pressing in the crumbs to help them stick. Stack up the coated chicken in a pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.  

TO SERVE: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lay the coated chicken across two baking pans. Once the garlic bread (recipe here) is cooked, bake the chicken on the top two racks for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, turning halfway. Serve with lemon wedges, for squeezing over. 

VEGGIE LOVE: Swap in 1/2-inch-thick slices of zucchini, eggplant or mushroom for any veggie guests – simply flour, egg and breadcrumb before you do the chicken, and bake on a lightly oiled pan.

Excerpted from Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy by Jamie Oliver. Copyright © 2020 by Jamie Oliver. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved.

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