- 4 chicken breasts, skinless
- salt and pepper
- flour, for dusting
- 75g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 50g/2oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- olive oil, for cooking
- large knob of butter
- 6 tomatoes, halved
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- coarse sea salt
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- 4 wedges of lemon
- Place the chicken breasts between cling film sheets and lightly bat, until about half to one centimetre/quarter to half an inch thick. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust in flour to coat thoroughly, tapping away any excess.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan.
- Dip the flattened chicken breasts (escalopes) in the beaten egg, followed by the Parmesan breadcrumbs.
- Heat some olive oil with the butter in a large frying pan. Once sizzling, add the crumbed escalopes and cook for three to four minutes on each side until crispy and golden.
- For the soft basil tomatoes, preheat the grill and put the tomato halves on a baking tray, topping each with a slice of garlic. Season with a good twist of fresh black pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt.
- Drizzle with olive oil and grill until just overdone, their softness providing the escalopes with a sauce to dip into.
- Tear the basil leaves and scatter them over the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Serve the escalopes on a warm plate with the soft basil tomatoes and a wedge of lemon.