Chicken saltimbocca and broad bean mash

Cut chicken breasts into smallish, slimish pieces. I usually cut the breasts through the middle down the length, then each piece into about three pieces. It doesn’t matter too much how you do this, but you want to try to end up with pieces roughly the same thickness (if not, just cook the thicker ones a bit longer).

Cut the ham into pieces roughly the same size as the chicken. Make little bundles of a piece of chicken breast, a piece of ham and a sage leaf and secure all three ingredients with a toothpick.

To make the mash, put broad beans in a sieve and rinse off ice crystals under running hot water. Drop beans into a pan of boiling, lightly salted water, quickly bring back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water until they feel cool. Pop the beans out of their outer coats, put beans in a bowl and mash to a coarse puree.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, then add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Meanwhile, dust the pieces of chicken with flour (shake off excess flour). Add 2 tablespoon of butter to the pan and while it is sizzling, lower in as many pieces of chicken as will fit in the pan without overcrowding, sage side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, then turn with tongs and cook the other side. Do not overcook; the chicken should be just cooked, just have lost its pinkness and be juicy and succulent – cut a piece open with a sharp knife to check.

Transfer the chicken to a heated plate as it is ready, seasoning with a little salt, then add more butter to the pan and when sizzling cook the next batch. When all are done (and you will need to adjust the heat; I start with it on high then change it to medium when I turn the first batch, then increase it to high again when I add the butter for the second batch, and lower it again once I put the chicken in) take the pan off the heat and let it cool a minute then pour in ¼ cup white wine or stock; add a little more if it evaporates off too quickly. Bubble it up then pour over the chicken.

To finish off the mash, put butter, spring onions and garlic in a pan big enough to hold the broad beans and peas, and cook them gently for a few minutes to soften. Add the broad bean mash and the green peas, season with salt and pepper and let everything heat through.

Dish mash and top with saltimbocca. Serve immediately.