This is a simple recipe to make that your guests will think you have spent way more time on than you did. This recipe can be made a day ahead of time and cooked just before serving although the sauce needs to be made while the chicken is cooking but it does not take long. The ingredients listed below are for 2 chicken breasts mine were quite large so you may have to adjust stuffing ingredients if making with small breasts or make the same amount and do 4 breasts. The photo I have posted is of the smaller, of my 2 breasts, so I think you can get a rough idea from that.

Ingredients

2 Chicken breasts (Large ones)
4 Bacon rashers, roughly chopped
1 Small onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Cup bread crumbs
30g Butter
1/2 Teaspoon chicken stock granules
50ml boiling water
1 Teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
4 Extra slices bacon, to wrap round chicken

Sauce

1 Cup water
1 Teaspoon chicken stock granules
2 Teaspoons cornflour
1/2 Cup firmly packed basil leaves
1/2 Cup cream
20g Butter
2 Egg yolks

Method

1. Cook bacon until crisp, drain on absorbent paper, in the same pan add garlic and onion and cook until onion softens.

2. Pound chicken with a meat mallet until roughly equal thickness.

3. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl, combine water, butter and stock in another bowl stirring until butter has melted and stock has dissolved, add to breadcrumbs stir to combine. Add onion mix, bacon, juice and rind, mix thoroughly.

4. Place stuffing on one side of chicken breast, fold the other half over the top and secure by wrapping 2 slices of bacon around each breast.

5. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan, add chicken and brown on both sides, transfer chicken to an oven proof dish, and cook in a pre heated oven of 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 Min’s or until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is cooking make the sauce:

1. Add water and stock to a saucepan bring to the boil mix a little water with the cornflour, add to stock and stir until mixture thickens slightly, add butter and stir to melt.

2. Add basil leaves and blend or process until smooth (I use a bar mix for this), add the cream, stir.

3. In a bowl lightly beat egg yolks, add some of the sauce to the yolks a little at a time and stir after each addition (stops yolks from scrambling, as they are mixed already with some sauce instead of pouring them straight into hot liquid.) pour this mixture into the saucepan and stir over a medium heat until mixture thickens, do not boil or egg yolk will scramble.

To Serve: Slice chicken thickly and drizzle sauce over garnish with basil leaves, serve remaining sauce on the side. I like to serve mine with a nice side salad.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.