Chicken fillets with prosciutto and mozzarella – gratinated

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 large chicken breast fillets (alternatively 2 smaller fillets per person)
• 100 g ham (Italian prosciutto or osso collo), thinly sliced
• 1 pack of mozzarella
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• possibly black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt (seasoning salt for roast chicken)
• Basil, preferably freshly chopped
• possibly salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Italian flair, easy to prepare for guests

Trim the breast fillets—they should be thin and somewhat rectangular. Crush peeled garlic cloves and mix with a little olive oil. Brush the chicken fillets well with this mixture, place them in a suitable container of your choice with a lid, and let them marinate for about an hour (you can also do this longer and let them stand in the refrigerator). Then sprinkle the breast fillets with seasoning salt (or just salt and pepper, but don’t season too heavily, as the prosciutto is very spicy and salty anyway) and sear them on all sides in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and place in a suitably sized, ovenproof dish. Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into even slices. Then top each chicken breast fillet with one or two slices of prosciutto, then place a slice of tomato on top, sprinkle with some chopped basil, and finally place one or two slices of mozzarella on top (you can then cover and refrigerate this for 1-2 hours before placing it in the oven at the desired time). Bake in a preheated oven at approximately 180°C for about 30 minutes. If desired, grill briefly at the end. Remove from the oven and, if desired, sprinkle with some freshly ground pepper. Serve with rice as a side dish (e.g., zucchini rice mixed with finely diced, pre-cooked zucchini works very well). Oven croquettes or mashed potatoes also make good side dishes. Tip: This dish can be prepared well in advance of guests’ arrival and then placed in the oven about 30 minutes before the desired serving time.