Serves 4

Assembling the recipe:

In a hot saute or frying pan (non stick if you have it) melt the butter with the olive oil over a medium heat.

Dry off the chicken breasts and salt and pepper both sides.

Take the 2 eggs and beat them in a small bowl. Add the grated parmesan cheese and dip each chicken breast in this mixture one at a time and place in the saute pan (see notes below).

Saute on a medium heat until golden about 6 minutes on one side and 5 on the other.

In a small pot or pan heat the 4 msk. (or 4 tbls) of olive oil until hot and toss in a few sage leaves at a time. Deep fry until they turn a dark green color about 6 seconds and remove to drain on a paper towel.

Arrange the chicken breasts on a platter and sprinkle over the fried sage leaves with a wedge of lemon for each person.

Notes:

This recipe is simplicity itself. It can even be served all by itself after a first course of pasta. It is light, distinctive and totally delicious.

A couple of things to keep in mind when making this, is it's great all year round as a light summer dish or with my New Potatoes Steamed with Butter, Parsley and Spring Onions for something more substantial.

Try and buy really good chicken for this recipe the parmesan is not going to mask a bit of cheap chicken. If you don't know how to butterfly a chicken breast (see useful techniques - How to butterfly a chicken breast). You can also ask your butcher to do this for you. Ask them for 4 breasts which in total will come to 1/2 kilo, (or 1 lbs.).

Purchase good Regiano Parmesan, using the best will help insure great results.

I usually use one egg for 2 breasts with 4 msk (or 4 tbls) of grated parmesan, be a bit generous. It will look a bit strange and clumpy but don't worry it is the way it looks. Don't make the pan too hot or you will burn the cheese before you cook the chicken.

Saute it gently for about 5 minutes on each side, the thinness of the breasts will help them to cook quickly. You cannot do this recipe with a whole chicken breast because it will be too thick and you will never get it cooked all the way through without ruining the cheese it is coated in.