Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts

First created to use up feta and olives in the fridge, this is one of my favourite things to cook all year round even if it does sound particularly summery.  Easy to cook when entertaining, as it can all be prepared before hand, you can adapt this recipe for individual tastes and budgets. We do a lovely range of olives at Andrew's and for this recipe I use the Mix Italia - a lovely blend of black and green olives as well as capers and peppers. The sweet flavours balance out the Greek feta we sell perfectly, but if you prefer say plain black olives, I would use some chopped cherry tomatoes in with the stuffing. I use Serrano ham to wrap the chicken breasts because of its robust flavour that is slightly stronger than Parma ham, but cheaper alternatives such as streaky bacon can also be used.

Ingredients for 6 people
6 chicken breasts, as large as possible.
6-12 slices of Serrano ham 
1 pack of Greek Feta finely diced
150 -200 grams of Mix Italia Olives finely chopped 
Dried mixed herbs 
Fresh basil finely chopped
Extra Virgin Olive oil, black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Then mix the chopped feta, chopped olives, and herbs in a bowl. Drizzle with plenty of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper for seasoning. 
Slice open your chicken breasts lengthways to butterfly them, being careful not to cut all the way through. 
The Serrano ham may be small slices it all depends in which case you may want to use two slices per chicken breast, this is up to you. 
Lay out your ham on a chopping board, place your open chicken breasts on top, and divide the mixture between as shown. This then makes it easier to close your chicken breast and wrap the Serrano ham around the breast to keeping the mix within. Secure with a cocktail stick if necessary. Place on baking tray and put into pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Presenting the chicken breasts cut in half allows you to check they are completely cooked inside before plating up. Serve on a bed of salad for a light meal,  or with rice, vegetables and gravy for something a little heartier. 

Gammon in Suffolk Cider

Besides prosciutto I'm not a big ham fan, but I absolutely loved the tender gammon mum home-cooked last Christmas and have since cooked it whenever I fancy a change from other roasts! Our Suffolk gammon joints make a tasty and economical alternative dinner, and with some leftover makes tasty sandwiches too. What else to cook it in than Aspall’s cider also produced in Suffolk.

Ingredients 

One of Andrew's Suffolk gammon joints, 2kg will serve 6 people in itself or 4 people with more to eat cold. Ask us if unsure!

A bottle of Aspall’s Suffolk Cider (original or flavour of your choice)

2 bay leaves and a sprig of fresh thyme 

For the glaze, honey or golden syrup and course sea salt crystals or cloves. 

Place your gammon joint in a large saucepan and pour over the cider and enough water to just cover the meat. Add your bay leaves and herbs. 

Bring to the boil and then cook at a simmer for 20 minutes per 500g (1h20m for 2kg)

At this stage the gammon will be cooked and deliciously tender, however it is lovely to crisp up the outside layer of fat in the oven with a tasty glaze. This needn’t be complicated. Simply score the fat with a sharp knife in either traditional diamonds or parallel lines. Then look to your store cupboard for with honey or golden syrup and brush over. Press in crushed sea salt crystals for extra crunch or cloves for decoration. Bake in a hot oven (190-200°C) for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve with traditional roast accompaniments in winter time and enjoy!