This is one of those dinner-party dishes that looks as though you have spent the evening fussing over it, when most of the work can actually be finished before anybody arrives. The chicken is filled with creamy mozzarella and intensely savoury sun-dried tomatoes, then wrapped in bacon or Parma ham before baking.

Serve it sliced so everyone can see the colourful centre, alongside rich dauphinoise potatoes, lightly blistered chilli green beans and a quick balsamic pan gravy. Prepare the chicken and potatoes ahead, keep them chilled, and you can still be the hostess with the mostest instead of disappearing into the kitchen.

Method

1. Prepare the dauphinoise. Heat the oven to 190°C, 170°C fan or gas mark 5. Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly—approximately 2–3mm—with a mandoline or sharp knife.
2. Infuse the cream. Put the cream, bay leaves, onion, garlic, nutmeg, black pepper and a small pinch of salt into a saucepan. Heat gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, but do not let it boil over. Remove the bay leaves and stir in half the Cheddar.
3. Layer and bake. Lightly oil a medium baking dish. Arrange the sliced potatoes in overlapping layers, pour over the warm cream mixture and press down gently. Scatter over the remaining Cheddar. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20–30 minutes until golden and completely tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Fill the chicken. Dice the mozzarella and finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes, then mix them together. Cut a deep pocket into the side of each chicken breast without cutting all the way through. Divide the filling between the pockets and season with black pepper.
5. Wrap and chill. Wrap each breast with 2 rashers of bacon or 2 slices of Parma ham, overlapping the edges to enclose the filling. Place seam-side down in a baking dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or prepare up to one day ahead.
6. Bake the chicken. With the oven still at 190°C, 170°C fan or gas mark 5, bake for 25–35 minutes, depending on thickness. The centre of the thickest breast must reach 75°C and the chicken should be opaque throughout. Rest for 8–10 minutes before slicing. If the bacon needs more colour, briefly place the dish under a hot grill while watching carefully.
7. Reheat the potatoes if made ahead. The dauphinoise can be cooled, covered and refrigerated once baked. Return it to the oven, covered, for the final 20–25 minutes of the chicken’s cooking time, uncovering for the last few minutes.
8. Cook the beans. Toss the beans with the olive oil and chilli flakes. Spread them on a tray and grill for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until lightly blistered but still retaining some bite.
9. Make the gravy. Pour the chicken cooking juices into a small saucepan, add the hot water and balsamic vinegar and bring to a proper boil. Simmer for several minutes. Whisk in a little gravy granule only if it needs thickening, then taste before adding any seasoning.
10. Slice and serve. Cut each rested chicken breast into thick slices to reveal the mozzarella and tomato centre. Serve beside the dauphinoise and green beans, with a little balsamic pan gravy spooned around the chicken.

For another impressive chicken dinner, try my chicken, chorizo and seafood paella.

Allergy note: Contains milk. Gravy granules may contain wheat, gluten, celery or other allergens; check the label. Sun-dried tomatoes and cured meats can be high in salt.