Breaded Chicken with Brie and Tomato Sauce

Crisp chicken coated in tortilla chip crumbs is served with a quick tomato sauce and deliciously decadent melted brie sauce.

Chicken:
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
oil, for greasing
2 (5½ oz) chicken breast fillets (2x150 g)
1 large free-range egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
3½ oz tortilla chips (100 g)

Tomato Sauce:
1 can plum or chopped tomatoes (400 g)
1 Tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. caster sugar
1 tsp. red or white wine vinegar
1 small handful fresh basil leaves, half finely shredded

Brie Cream Sauce:
3½ oz brie, rind removed, roughly chopped (100 g)
3½ oz heavy cream (100 mL)
2-3 sprigs thyme

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Lightly oil a baking tray.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

Put the beaten egg in a large shallow bowl and the flour into a second bowl.

Put the tortillas in a shallow bowl and rub together until they form a rough crumb.

Bake the Chicken:
Dip the chicken in the flour until lightly coated, shaking off any excess, then dip into the egg and finally into the tortilla crumb. Repeat the process once more to give the chicken a thick coating. Repeat with the remaining chicken breast.

Place them on the oiled baking tray and bake for about 18 minutes, or until cooked through. (If your chicken breasts are larger than 5½ oz (150 g) each, you will need to increase the cooking time or butterfly the chicken.)

Make the Tomato Sauce:
Blend the tomatoes, tomato purée, onion and garlic powders in a food processor or using a stick blender until almost smooth. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tomato sauce and warm through without boiling, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, a little sugar and the vinegar to taste. Stir in around 1 heaped Tbsp. of the shredded basil leaves.

Make the Brie Sauce:
In another pan, warm the brie and cream together with a few sprigs of thyme until the brie melts, stirring regularly. Remove the thyme and discard. The brie won't melt completely, so if you want a smooth sauce, use a stick blender.

Assembly:
When the chicken is ready, pour the tomato sauce into 2 warmed pasta plates or shallow bowls. Top with the chicken and pour over the creamy brie sauce. Season with ground black pepper and garnish with the remaining basil leaves to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes: To cook the chicken more quickly, you can butterfly it. Simply put the chicken on a board and carefully cut in half horizontally almost all the way through and open up like a book. Coat with the flour, egg and breadcrumbs as in the main recipe and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cooked throughout.