Step 1

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Step 2

2 Have a large, shallow roasting pan at hand

Step 3

3 Boil a kettle of water

Step 4

4 Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to cut a wide “X” at the bottom of each peach

Step 5

5 Pour the boiling water into a deep heatproof bowl

Step 6

6 Add the peaches and let them sit for about a minute; you should see the skins start to curl where you scored the fruit

Step 7

7 Remove the peaches from the bowl, then carefully peel and discard the skins

Step 8

8 As soon as the fruit is cool enough to handle, cut it in half, discard the pit and then cut each peach into about 8 equal slices

Step 9

9 Place the chicken breast halves between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness of 1/2 inch, then season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper

Step 10

10 Arrange them in the pan in a single layer, then it's your choice: For a more fruit-forward flavor, sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar, ginger and mace or nutmeg, then top each one with the sliced peaches

Step 11

11 For a sweeter treatment, place the peaches directly on the chicken, then sprinkle the fruit with the brown sugar, ginger and mace or nutmeg

Step 12

12 Squeeze the lemon half’s juice evenly over each portion

Step 13

13 Bake (middle rack) for 20 minutes, or until the center of the chicken registers 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and is browned on top; the sugar and spices applied over the fruit will give the dish a more browned look

Step 14

14 There should be a fair amount of pan juices

Step 15

15 Coarsely chop the basil, if using, and scatter it over the chicken

Step 16

16 Serve warm, with some of the pan juices