Pan-fried chicken breast with spinach and mozzarella in shallot sauce

Serves 4 Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 27 minutes

Vegetable stock
500ml water
½ carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
½ onion, peeled and quartered
35g celery, roughly chopped
½ tomato, sliced into wedges
15g Italian parsley

4 x 200g chicken breast, with skin removed
100g spinach, rinsed and dried
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
100g mozzarella block, cut into four rectangular portions

Shallot sauce
30g chopped shallots
100ml red wine
½ tbsp butter
200ml vegetable stock

Garnish
2 tbsp olive oil

• To make vegetable stock: add water to a large pot over medium heat, and then add all vegetables into the pot.
• Increase heat to high, bring to a boil for about 20 minutes.
• After boiling, turn off the fire, and let vegetable stock sit until cooled.
• Strain the solid ingredients and reserve the liquid for use.
• To butterfly the chicken breast, slice each chicken length-wise, taking care not to sever the meat into two. Set aside.
• Sauté spinach in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 1 minute until wilted. Set aside.
• Flip butterflied chicken over, so the outside of the chicken breast rests on a chopping board.
• Arrange a quarter portion of cooked spinach on one side of the chicken, and top with one mozzarella block. Fold the other half of the chicken over the spinach and cheese to sandwich the filling in between.
• Transfer chicken to a sauté pan and pan-fry the chicken breasts for 1 minute on each side or until it begins to brown lightly. Set aside.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper so that chicken doesn’t stick to the tray. Place chicken breasts on the tray. For added taste, you can smear about 1 teaspoon of the chopped basil in olive oil mixture on top of each chicken.
• Bake in a 200°C oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• To make the shallot sauce: combine shallots and red wine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and braise shallots for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
• Stir in half a tablespoon of butter. Continue to simmer until the sauce has been reduced by half.
• Add vegetable stock. Continue to cook, on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, and then set aside.
• To serve, slice chicken into half, down the middle through to the spinach and mozzarella. Place on a large plate and top with braised shallots. Drizzle remaining shallot sauce on top of chicken.

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