Chicken escalope with warm beans, cep and tarragon salad

Method

1. Lay a sheet of cling film on a clean, flat surface and put the chicken breasts on top set apart from each other. Remove the small fillet from the chicken breasts and put it back in the same position but facing the opposite direction to give the breasts a more even thickness. Cover with another sheet of cling film and use a rolling pin to flatten the chicken breasts to thin escalopes. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Trim the stalks off the green and yellow beans and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and refesh under cold water.

3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the chicken escalopes and the shallots, cut side down. Fry for 3-4 minutes then add the butter to the pan. Turn the chicken and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. Remove the chicken and shallots from the pan and set aside. Add the garlic and ceps and sauté for 1-2 minutes, to soften. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half.

5. Stir in the beans along with the chopped chives. Season with black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir through the tarragon leaves.

6. To serve, put the chicken on plates and arrange the shallot halves on top. Spoon the bean mixture over, along with any juices from the pan.