Chicken en Croûte

I think everything can be improved if it is wrapped in puff pastry, especially chicken! These impressive looking parcels have moist chicken, ham and gooey mozzarella. I served them potatoes scooped out from baked potatoes and steamed baby carrots or in winter Donal Skehan's Simple Root Mash. If you have extra cheesy stuffing and mash as I did, mix together with a beaten egg, stuff the hollowed out baked potato skins and grill until golden brown. Perfect for supper time, two meals in one, genius!

Serves 4

Ingredients
250g Mozzarella, chopped
75g Ham, cubed or lardons
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
4  Chicken breasts
4 Pieces puff pastry, 15cm/6in square, 3mm/⅛in thick (or enough to leave 4cm border around each breast)
1 Egg, beaten

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Mix the mozzarella, ham cubes and parsley together in a bowl.

Cut a pocket in each of the chicken breasts and stuff with the mozzarella mixture.

Place a stuffed chicken breast into the middle of each square of puff pastry, brush the pastry with the beaten egg and roll up into parcels.

Pinch the pastry together to seal in the juices, flip the pastry parcel over, slash the pastry with a sharp knife (allows the steam to escape).

Brush each parcel with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown.

I used the leftover cheesy mix to make ham and cheese potato skins for tea time.