Chicken Breast Stuffed with Black Truffle and Fontina

Chicken breast stuffed with black truffle is the most approachable main course in this Molise collection, and the one best suited to a weeknight dinner. The technique is all in the cut: the boned breast is butterflied along its length, leaving one side attached, and beaten with a meat mallet until it opens out into a pocket.

Inside go a slice of Fontina and one or two blades of black truffle; then the breast is folded over and the edges are beaten firmly so the cheese cannot escape during cooking. Floured and browned slowly in oil and butter, the breasts are deglazed with brandy and finished with cream. Black truffle, unlike white, takes heat very well: sealed inside the pocket, it perfumes the meat from within.

The same technique works with pork loin slices or turkey escalopes. For a lighter version, replace half the cream with stock and let it reduce. The stuffed breasts can be prepared a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge, but flour them only just before cooking, otherwise the coating turns damp and will not brown.