Ingredients

• 2 large all-butter croissantsday-old; fresh ones tear and go greasy
• 2 small chicken breastsbutterflied
• 40 g flour
• 1 eggbeaten
• 70 g panko
• 120 g Brieripe but not runny
• 1 appletart-sweet, such as Braeburn or Pink Lady
• 20 g butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp fine salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. 01

   Bread the chicken

   Butterfly the chicken breasts and flatten them to an even 1.5 cm. Season, then coat in the seasoned flour, the beaten egg and finally the panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly.

   2 small chicken breasts · 40 g flour · 70 g panko

2. 02

   Fry until golden

   Shallow-fry in a 5 mm depth of neutral oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes a side, until deep golden and cooked through to 75 C. Rest on a wire rack so the underside stays crisp.

   Rest the chicken on a rackKitchen paper traps steam against the crust and softens it in under a minute.

3. 03

   Caramelise the apple

   Melt the butter in a clean frying pan over medium heat, add the sliced apple in one layer and cook for 3-4 minutes without stirring, until golden underneath. Add the brown sugar and cook for a further 2 minutes until the edges are sticky.

   20 g butter · 1 tbsp brown sugar

4. 04

   Deglaze

   Pour in the cider vinegar and add the 1 tsp thyme, scraping the base of the pan as it hisses. Cook for about 30 seconds until glossy and almost dry. That splash of acid is what keeps the sandwich from being three rich things with nothing to cut them.

   1 tsp cider vinegar

5. 05

   Fill the croissants

   Split the croissants horizontally without cutting all the way through and spread the cut faces with the mayonnaise. Layer in the chicken, then the sliced Brie, then the apples, and hold a little apple back, because Brie expands as it melts and an overfilled croissant splits.

   2 large all-butter croissants · 1 tbsp mayonnaise · 120 g Brie

   Do not overfillBrie swells as it melts and forces the croissant open. Two thirds full, more apple after.

6. 06

   Warm through

   Bake at 190 C / 170 C fan for 5-7 minutes, until the Brie is soft and the croissant edges are crisp. Add any reserved apple, grind over black pepper and eat immediately.