Ingredients
- For the chicken
- 2
plum tomatoes - 1 red
chilli, seeds removed, roughly chopped - ½ tsp crushed dried red chillies
- ¼ red
pepper, roughly chopped - ¼
red onion, roughly chopped - 1
garlic clove - 2 tbsp
olive oil - salt and freshly ground
black pepper - 110g/4oz instant
polenta - 4 x 225g/8oz boneless, skinless
chicken breasts - 1 tbsp
olive oil
- 2
- For the rocket pesto
- 110g/4oz
rocket leaves - 1
garlic clove - 1 tbsp
pine nuts, toasted - 1
lime, juice only - 8 tbsp
olive oil
- 110g/4oz
- For the roast potatoes
- 3 large baking potatoes
- 4 tbsp
olive oil - 1 tsp
paprika - salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Place the tomatoes, chilli, crushed chillies, red pepper, red onion and garlic into a food processor and blend to a paste.
Stir in two tablespoons of olive oil and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the paste into a bowl, add the polenta and mix together well.
Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of cling film and flatten slightly with a meat mallet or rolling pin, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a frying pan until hot and add one tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken breasts. Cook on each side, until golden-brown, then place onto a baking tray. Spread the polenta mixture over the top of the chicken breasts then transfer to the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through. (If the polenta topping is still slightly soft, place the chicken under a grill on its highest setting for 2-3 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown.)
For the pesto, place the rocket, garlic, pine nuts, lime juice and olive oil into a clean food processor and blend to a fine paste.
For the roast potatoes, slice the potatoes lengthways into wedges and place into a bowl with the olive oil, paprika and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well to coat the potatoes, then place on a baking tray. Transfer to the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and crisp on the outside.
To serve, place each chicken breast onto a warmed plate with a dollop of pesto and a few roast potatoes alongside.