Cachopo or Filled Breaded Steak

So.... Spring is supposed to be here. And I'm supposed to be enjoying the last months of my pregnancy in the sunshine, organising picnics and frolicking.

Instead, I started with a lovely tonsillitis that has ended up with a nasty chest infection.

Exactly what I needed. So now, instead of sleeping 3 or 4 hours per night, I'm struggling with a blocked nose and terrible cough as soon as I try to lay in bed.

Over the last two weeks the coughing has been so bad that I almost wee myself just to add to the misery. Oh the beauty of pregnancy!

Oh gosh, you are going to start thinking I'm a moaner.... and I promise I'm not! Just feeling really fed up of not being able to breathe at the moment.

Just to feel a bit better, this week I've prepared something that I've been wanting to cook for ages! It is a typical Spanish dish made up of two large beef steaks filled with serrano ham and cheese, although some recipes also include peppers, mushrooms and other ingredients. It’s eaten fried after being breaded in egg.

It is quite easy to prepare and really comforting too!

WHAT YOU NEED

4 Beef Frying Steaks

2 Cheese Slices (any cheese of your choice: blue, cheddar, Manchego, etc.)

4 Serrano Ham Slices

150gr Fine Breadcrumbs or Panko

2 Free Range Eggs

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Herbs of your choice

WHAT YOU DO

Season the fillets with chopped herbs, salt and pepper.

Put the steaks in a chopping table, cover with cling film and with the help of a rolling pin, flatten the steaks as much as you can, one at time.

Put 2 slices of Serrano ham and 1 slice of cheese on top of one steak and cover with another steak. Make sure that the stuffing does not get out of the fillets.

Beat the eggs with a little salt on a deep plate. Put the breadcrumbs in another plate. Careful not to disassemble it, cover the cachopo in egg and then dip in breadcrumbs. The cachopo must be well covered in breadcrumbs.

Place a pan over medium heat and pour plenty of oil for frying. When the oil is hot, put the cachopo in for 6 minutes on each side over medium heat.

When the cachopo is fried, remove it from the pan and put it on a tray with paper towels to remove excess oil.. Leave for a few minutes before serving.

Serve hot with chips and salad.