Chicken is a go-to for most families and these recipes will suit all tastes.
This meal is rich, satisfying and full of flavour. The crispy chicken is a great way to level up this dish!
Crispy chicken laksa
- 200g laksa paste
- 400ml can coconut cream
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 1 head of broccoli, roughly chopped
- 1 courgette, sliced
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 x 200g packets udon noodles
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large chicken breast
- 500ml vegetable oil for frying
TO GARNISH:
- sesame seeds, mung beans and sliced spring onion, chilli, mint leaves
- juice of 1 lime
Place a medium-sized pot over a medium heat with the laksa paste. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then add the coconut cream and coconut milk and one can full of water. Let it simmer and reduce until it starts to thicken.
Add the broccoli, courgette, fish sauce and a good pinch of salt. After about 5 minutes, add the noodles. Cook for a further 3 minutes, then turn off the heat until you are ready to serve.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and gently add the egg. Cook for about 6 minutes, then remove. Run it under cold water to cool down, peel, then cut in half.
Put the flour, whisked egg and panko crumbs into three separate bowls. Slice the chicken breast in half. Coat it in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
Place a medium-sized pan over a medium-to-high heat, then add a generous amount of vegetable oil to heat. Run your fingers under the tap and flick the water into the hot oil. If it crackles, it’s good to go.
Add the crumbed chicken, then cook for 10-15 minutes until it’s golden brown and succulent. Slice on the bias.
Divide the noodles, broccoli and courgette between two bowls, then ladle over the laksa sauce. Top with the crispy chicken, then finish with the garnishes.
Serves 2
Chicken gyros with tzatziki & yoghurt flatbread
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
- 1 large potato, peeled
- olive oil for cooking
- handful of iceberg lettuce leaves, finely sliced
- 1 tomato, sliced
MARINADE
- 1 cup greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
PICKLED RED ONIONS
- 1 red onion
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp water
- juice of 1 lemon
- pinch salt
TZATZIKI
- ½ cucumber, grated
- ½ cup greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- pinch salt
YOGHURT FLATBREAD
- 2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 cups greek yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cover a large baking tray with baking paper.
To make the pickled onions, put all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good stir. Set aside.
Put the sliced chicken and all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl. Give it a stir, then set aside.
Cut the potato into long chips. Rinse under cold tap water, then pat dry.
Spread the chips over the prepared tray, lying them flat in a single layer. Drizzle over olive oil. Roast for 45-50 minutes, turning the chips every now and then. When cooked, the chips should be golden brown and crispy with a light, fluffy centre. Transfer the chips to a large bowl. Season well with salt and give them a toss.
Place a large pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chicken, then cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
For the tzatziki, place the grated cucumber on a clean tea towel, then gather up and squeeze out the excess liquid. Put into a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined.
For the yoghurt flatbreads, put the self-raising flour and yoghurt into a large bowl. Mix together using a wooden spoon, then use your hands to bring everything together. Dust a clean work surface with flour, then pop the dough on top. Knead it for a minute or so. Cut the dough in half, then dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out the dough to make two flatbreads.
Place a medium-sized pan over a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, then cook the flatbreads one at a time for 1-2 minutes on each side. They should start to puff up and turn dark golden brown in parts.
Place a generous dollop of tzatziki on the middle of each flatbread, spreading it up towards the top. Top with iceberg lettuce, crispy chips, tomato, pickled red onion and more tzatziki. Fold the bottom half of the flatbread up and over so that it covers about half of the filling, then bring the left side into the middle followed by the right, to overlap.
Serves 2
Sundried tomato & cream cheese chicken wrapped in bacon with tomato passata
- 150g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 125g sundried tomato pesto
- salt and black pepper
- 2 chicken breasts
- 6 rashers streaky bacon
- 600ml tomato and basil passata
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Put the cream cheese, tomato pesto, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir until well combined.
Place the chicken breasts onto a chopping board. Slice horizontally through the chicken, stopping at the middle – you need a stuffable pocket, so make sure you don’t slice all the way through. Open the flap and put a generous amount of sundried tomato pesto cream cheese in the middle. Close the flap over the stuffing, then wrap three rashers of bacon around each breast to seal it.
Pour the tomato and basil passata into a shallow, ovenproof dish, then place the stuffed chicken breasts into the sauce. Top each breast with a sprig of fresh thyme. Cover with aluminium foil, then place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the heat to 200°C, then pop back into the oven for another 15 minutes to get the bacon nice and crispy.
I like to serve this dish with warm bread to mop up the sauce and vegetables of choice.
Serves 2
Kitty’s Kitchen: Just a Little Bit Naughty, by Kitty Williams, food photography by Chris Sharpe (published by Bateman Books, RRP $49.99)
