Chicken Breast Stuffed with Halloumi and Chargrilled peppers in Provencal Sauce

This is an impressive and scrumptious dish with a fragrant tomato sauce (yiahni). It’s super simple to make and great for any dinner party. You can substitute peppers for spinach or mushrooms, and Halloumi for a semi-soft cheese, feta, cheddar, gouda, mozzarella or any cheese you like.

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 x boneless and skinless Chicken breasts
Salt, pepper and paprika
25g (1oz) butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
14oz (400g) fresh tomatoes, chopped
200ml (7fl oz) dry white wine
200ml (7fl oz) chicken stock or warm water with 1 chicken stock cube
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp mixed herbs
Chopped parsley to garnish

For the stuffing:
4 thin slices of Halloumi
4 pieces of chargrilled red peppers

Method:

Place the chicken breast, shiny side up on a chopping board. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully slit each chicken breast down the thickest side almost the whole of its length, to a depth of 4cm or as deep as you can without the knife coming out the other side. The aim is to create a large pocket in the middle of the chicken. Open the pocket with your finger and fill with the Halloumi and pepper. Secure the opening with wooden tooth picks. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan, then fry the chicken gently until golden brown all over. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
To make the sauce, drain most of the fat from the frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic until soft, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, bring to the boil, then add chicken stock and sugar, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of salt, and blend the sauce until smooth.
Taste the sauce, adjust seasoning if needed and return to the frying pan. When hot, add the stuffed chicken to the sauce, cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes, turning it over after 15 minutes or until cooked.
Remove the toothpicks and either cut each chicken breast horizontally down the middle, or leave whole. Divide the sauce on the plates topped with the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve with pourgouri, rice, mashed potato, chips or vegetables.
Enjoy!