Ingredients

• 21 large fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry
• 3 boneless skinless whole chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
• about 15 bacon slices (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed coarse

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small saucepan of boiling water blanch basil 2 seconds and drain in a sieve. Rinse basil under cold water to stop cooking and pat dry on paper towels.
3. Put 1 whole chicken breast, skinned side down, on a work surface and remove "tender" (fillet strip located on either side of where breast bone was) from each breast half, keeping rest of chicken breast intact. (There should be 2 tenders from each whole breast.)
4. Put 2 tenders side by side and wrap 7 basil leaves around them to enclose them. Season remainder of whole breast with salt and pepper and put basil-wrapped tenders lengthwise down middle of 1 breast half. Fold other breast half over to enclose tenders.
5. Beginning on underside at 1 end of breast, wrap bacon slices snugly but without stretching, 1 at a time, around breast in a continuous overlapping spiral from 1 end to the other. (You will need about 4 to 5 bacon slices for each breast.)
6. Remove tenders from remaining 2 chicken breasts and stuff and wrap breasts in same manner. Sprinkle crushed peppercorns evenly over bacon wrappings.
7. Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Sliding a metal spatula under wrapped chicken breasts to keep bacon intact, transfer 2 breasts, undersides down, to skillet. Cook chicken, turning it only after bacon on underside is golden, until bacon is golden and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate and cook remaining breast in same manner.
8. Pour off fat from skillet and return all 3 chicken breasts to skillet. Roast chicken in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until firm to the touch and just cooked through. Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.