I adore this staunch classic, which is highly popular and so easy to prepare. You must, of course, serve the chicken supremes as soon as they are cooked, while the Gruyère inside is half-melted and still hot. I like to serve them with spinach – fill a frying pan with washed spinach leaves, add a knob of butter and cook for just 2 minutes.
SERVES 4
4 skinless chicken supremes (about 150g each)
4 small, thin slices of lightly smoked ham, fat and rind removed
4 small, thin slices of Gruyère (ideally aged for 18–24 months)
2 medium eggs
100g plain flour
150g dried breadcrumbs (ideally panko)
2 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
150ml grapeseed or groundnut oil
150g butter
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
Using a very sharp knife, cut horizontally three-quarters of the way through each chicken breast at its thickest part, to create a pocket. Slide a slice of ham into each pocket, then place a slice of cheese on top of the ham. Close the pockets and reshape each breast as neatly as possible. Trim away any protruding ham or cheese.
In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with some salt and pepper. Put the flour into a separate shallow bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs and thyme leaves together in a third, shallow bowl.
Just before cooking (and not before), dip the chicken supremes, one at a time, into the flour to coat lightly, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs to coat all over, patting them so that the crumbs adhere well.
Divide the oil evenly between two frying pans and place over a high heat. Add 40g butter to each, then reduce the heat to medium and place 2 chicken supremes in each pan. Cook for 7 minutes, then turn them over and add the remaining butter to the frying pans, dividing it evenly. Cook for 5–6 minutes, basting the supremes every minute or so, to ensure they cook through evenly.
Transfer the cooked supremes to a wire rack lined with kitchen paper to drain for a minute or two.
Place a chicken supreme on each plate, add a lemon quarter to each and serve with some salad leaves, if you wish.