Pancetta-Wrapped Chicken Involtini

These little bundles of chicken thigh wrapped in crispy pancetta with a molten fontina centre are absurdly good - and they're cooked entirely in your pizza oven at a gentle 170°C. The technique is straightforward: debone the thighs, wrap them around cheese, encase in pancetta, and bake until the outside is golden and the inside hits 74°C. The pizza oven's retained heat does the work beautifully, giving you an even cook with no hot spots.

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 100g fontina cheese (or any good melting cheese), cut into 1cm cubes
• 24 pancetta rashers
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh chives, finely chopped
• Courgettes and flat-leaf parsley, for serving (optional)

Method

1. Let your pizza oven cool to around 170°C. This is gentle retained-heat territory.
2. Cut each chicken thigh in half lengthways. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Lay 4 pancetta rashers in a crisscross pattern on your work surface (or in a pudding mould if you have one). Place a piece of chicken thigh in the centre, add a cube of fontina, then fold the chicken around the cheese and wrap the pancetta tightly to seal.
4. Repeat with all the chicken pieces. Place them seam-side down on a baking tray.
5. Slide into your oven and cook until the pancetta is golden and crispy and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C - about 25-30 minutes. Rotate the tray halfway through.
6. Serve scattered with chopped chives, alongside sauteed courgettes with parsley if you like.