Ingredients

• 2 x 225g/8oz chicken breasts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 plum tomatoes
• ¼ fresh red chilli
• de-seeded
• 2 anchovy fillets
• from a can
• ¼ red pepper
• de-seeded
• ¼ small red onion peeled
• ½ garlic clove
• peeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 115g/4oz instant polenta
• 115g/4oz rocket leaves
• ½ garlic clove
• peeled
• 1 tbsp pine kernels
• toasted
• 8 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• To make the topping
• place the tomatoes
• chilli
• anchovy
• red pepper
• onion and garlic into a blender and purée to a rough paste.
• Add the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
• Combine this purée with the instant polenta in a bowl.
• Place all the pesto ingredients in the blender and blend into a fine purée. Remove from the blender and leave to one side.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan and seal the chicken breasts for a few minutes on each side to colour the flesh.
• Place the chicken breasts on an oven tray and top each with a thick coating of the polenta mixture.
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes to cook the chicken through and allow the topping to go crunchy.
• Place the chicken breasts on a plate and serve with a dollop of the rocket pesto on the side.