Chicken Kiev with tomato and rocket butter

The secret to these succulent chicken breasts lies in the flavoured butter. As a variation, melt the butter to make a rich sauce for gnocchi, or drizzle over roasted vegetables with a sprinkling of extra rocket.

Serves 4 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C

• 4 large chicken breast fillets • about 125ml flour • 2 eggs, whisked • about 150g breadcrumbs • oil for deep-frying TOMATO BUTTER • 15ml currants • 30ml red wine vinegar • about 100g unsalted butter, softened • 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced • 45ml grated pecorino • a handful of chopped wild rocket

1 For the tomato butter Soak the currants in the vinegar for about 20 minutes until they swell up. Mix with the butter, tomatoes, pecorino and rocket.

2 Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in each chicken breast, then flatten them slightly with a meat mallet. Fill the chicken with the flavoured butter and roll each one up carefully; use toothpicks to secure if necessary.

3 Roll each chicken piece in flour, then in the whisked egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place the rolled chicken, folded side down, on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes – this will ensure that they keep their shape when you cook them.

4 Pour a 2cm layer of oil into a pot and heat until hot, then deep-fry the chicken gently until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Arrange the browned chicken in a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C to make sure it is cooked through. The size of the chicken will determine the cooking time – use your judgment. Serve hot with roasted baby tomatoes, your favourite vegetables and mashed potatoes.