First class chicken (Frango nota 10)

This recipe was the most requested in 2008 on a brazilian show like GMTV. We tried and it is absolutely delicious. But I got to warn you, it is caloric.

Time of preparation: 40 min

1kg of chicken breast
salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, grated

24 slices of honey cooked ham
24 slices of muzzarela (but cheddar works too)

500ml of tomato sauce mixed with 200ml of water

500ml of double cream
1 can (medium size) of sweet corn

200g of cream cheese, or requeijao, if you can find it (a brazilian cream cheese)
100 g of parmesan, grated

1/2 cup parsley, finelly chopped

Cut the chicken breast, making small long chuncks, with the length of the slice of ham and the width of your finger. We are looking to make little cannellonis here, rolling the chiken breast in the cheese and ham. Season these chunks of breast with salt, pepper and the garlic.

To make the cannellonis: take 1 slice of ham and cover it with 1 slice of cheese. paralell with the longest side of the cheese, place one breast chunck and roll it (lenghtwise): the ham should be the outter part. Repeat the process with all the other chicken chuncks.

In case you haven't yet, mix the tomato sauce with the water and put half of that mixture in an tall oven-proof dish. Put the cannellonis on the bottom, very close together, in the mix of tomato sauce and water. When you finish it, dump the rest of the tomato sauce/water mix on top of it all.

Place the oven-proof dish in a tray with water and place it in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 6) to cook for around 25 min.

Meanwhile, in a blender, mix the double cream and the sweet corn (drained) and blend it for 10 seconds. The aim here is to keep some chuncks in the sauce.

Take the oven-proof dish out of the oven (leaving the oven on) and spread the corn cream on top of the cannellonis and the sauce. On top of the corn cream, spread spoons of cream cheese (it can be irregular, for the cheese will melt and spread). Generously sprinkle the parmesan and the parseley and bake it to brown/melt. Serve it with white rice.