21 fresh leaves of basil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

12 slices of bacon

pepper (or crushed black peppercorn) to taste
    salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small sauce pan of boiling water, blanch your basil leaves quickly (2 seconds) and drain them. Rinse the basil under cold water and pat dry.
3. Slice open your chicken breasts and pound them to tenderize and flatten. Fill them with your basil leaves – about 7 leaves per breast, and fold it over. Season the outside of the breasts with salt and pepper.
4. Starting with the underside of a breast, wrap your bacon around the chicken snugly. Depending on the size of your chicken, you might need up to 4-5 slices each.
5. Sprinkle the outside of your bacon with pepper.
6. Heat a skillet over moderately high heat. Once it’s hot, transfer your chicken to the pan (underside down, as to keep the bacon wrapped), and cook it until the bacon is crisp and golden on the bottom. Flip and repeat. This should take approximately 4 minutes for each breast, depending on how many can fit in your skillet at once.
7. Roast your chicken in the middle of the oven until it’s firm and fully cooked. (It should take about 10-15 minutes, maybe longer). Remove your chickens and let them rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves:6