Chicken breast with Grana Padano crust, leeks and mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 400 g starchy potatoes
• Salt
• 1 bunch herbs (20 g; e.g., parsley, dill, thyme)
• 60 g Grana Padano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leek stalks
• Pepper
• 4 tbsp whole grain breadcrumbs (40 g)
• 3 tbsp softened butter (45 g)
• 600 g chicken breast fillets (4 fillets of 150 g each)
• 2 tbsp cream cheese (50 g)
• 150 ml Vegetable broth
• 2 tsp mustard seeds (10 g)
• 1 tbsp mustard
• nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel, wash, and if necessary halve the potatoes. Cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook covered on medium heat for 20–25 minutes.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile wash herbs, shake dry, pluck leaves and chop. Grate Grana Padano. Clean leeks, wash, cut lengthwise in half and slice into 5 cm pieces. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry leeks with the cut side down on medium heat for 3 minutes. Flip to the cut side up, place in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 20 g Grana Padano, and set aside.

3. 3.

   Mix remaining Grana Padano with breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp butter, herbs, salt and pepper into a paste. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Wash chicken fillets, pat dry and sear in hot oil on both sides over medium to high heat for 3–4 minutes. Remove, place in a second baking dish and brush each with some crust mixture. Bake in preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan) for 12–15 minutes. Place leeks in the oven 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

4. 4.

   In the meantime whisk cream cheese with vegetable broth in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Roughly crush mustard seeds in a mortar and stir into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Drain potatoes, mash and fold in remaining butter and mustard. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Spread mashed potatoes onto four plates. Slice chicken fillets and arrange them with leeks on top of the mash. Pour sauce over and serve.