This roast chicken has a French twist with the homemade aïoli. The chicken supreme is a skin-on breast on the bone with the first wing tip still attached. The marinade moistens and adds delicious flavour. It is a very easy marinade to make. I like it with tarragon, but leave that out if you wish. Adding the juices from the pan stirred in at the last minute really lifts it.
This traybake is a one-tray dinner, again with lots of flavour. The combination of chicken and these spices is delicious. It is a moist, slightly spicy chicken dish. The Padron peppers are little green peppers that are becoming very popular and easy to find in the supermarkets. I first came across them in the Basque country. There are several very good Halloumi-style cheeses made in Ireland now. The Proper Dairy in Clonmel makes one that I have tried and liked. This dish is best eaten immediately, while the halloumi is still hot, as it will go a bit rubbery as it cools down.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Roast chicken and potatoes with aïoli
Serves four
4 chicken supremes
6 large shallots, peeled and halved or quartered
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
225g tenderstem broccoli
For the aïoli
1 egg yolk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml light olive or rapeseed oil
75ml boiling water
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).
2 Place the chicken supremes in a roasting tin, skin side up, with the shallots and potatoes. Drizzle over the oil and season generously, then scatter the herbs on top and use your hands to mix, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
3 Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and use some tongs to add the broccoli, turning it with the potatoes and shallots in the pan juices. Roast for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the vegetables have crisped up.
4 Meanwhile, make the aïoli. Place the egg yolk in a bowl with the lemon juice, mustard, garlic and a pinch of salt.
5 Put the oil in a jug and slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. This can be done by hand or with a hand-held electric mixer or food processor.
6 Continue to add the oil, whisking continuously until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste. This can be made in advance and stored in a jar in the fridge for up to three days.
7 Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken, shallots, potatoes and broccoli to a serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside in a warm place.
8 Put the roasting tin directly on the hob over a medium heat and whisk in the boiling water, scraping the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to remove any sediment. Bring to a simmer, then gradually whisk this into the aïoli and stir in the tarragon.
9 Pour into a small pouring saucepan and serve alongside the chicken platter, allowing everyone to help themselves.
Chicken, halloumi and chickpea traybake
Serves four
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp dried harissa spice seasoning
4 skinless chicken fillets
250g baby plum tomatoes
200g Padrón peppers
125g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm slices
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
2 Put the chickpeas in a bowl with half of the oil and the harissa. Season generously and toss until evenly combined.
3 Put the chicken, baby plum tomatoes, peppers and halloumi into a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the rest of the oil and mix with your hands to coat everything evenly.
4 Add the flavoured chickpeas and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are nicely charred.
5 Serve immediately, straight to the table.