Chicken Breast with Walnut Pesto & Roasted Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, about 180g each
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 3 large roasted red peppers, from a jar, sliced
• 80 g walnut halves, toasted
• 40 g parmesan, grated
• 15g fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• rocket, to serve
• Crusty ciabatta, to serve
• Crusty ciabatta, to serve
• Rocket, to serve

Method

1. Make the pesto: blend the toasted walnuts, parmesan, basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil until you have a thick, slightly coarse paste with visible flecks of nut. Stir through the lemon juice and season well with salt and black pepper. Loosen with a splash of water if it feels claggy — you want it spoonable, not stiff.
2. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness using a rolling pin between two sheets of baking paper. This is the difference between dry edges and a juicy middle.
3. Season the chicken generously on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the chicken in away from you and cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes, until deeply golden underneath, then flip and cook for another 5–6 minutes until cooked through and springy to the touch. Lift onto a board and rest for 3 minutes.
4. While the chicken rests, tip the sliced roasted peppers into the same pan and toss through the resting juices over a low heat for 1–2 minutes, just until warmed through and glossy.
5. Slice each chicken breast on the diagonal into thick pieces.
6. Fan the chicken across warm plates with the peppers tucked alongside. Spoon the walnut pesto generously over the top, scatter with rocket and torn basil, finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and serve with warm ciabatta for mopping.