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Time flies. Our twins, Connor and Lucia, finished in our local Scoil Naomh Padraig primary school this week. They loved it there, and I want to send a big thank you to all the teachers and staff. It is becoming a tradition, now, that I invite the fifth and sixth classes to the cookery school at the end of the school year. Last week, we had 17 of them. We made a stir fry, chocolate brownies and Cajun chicken, and I think a good time was had by all. I love to see children learning the basics of cooking.
The baked chicken recipe this week is also one that has been tried and tested often in the cookery school. Recently, we tried this recipe with prawns, and sometimes we use chicken thighs instead of the breast. It comes together so quickly and can be made in just over half an hour from start to finish. For those who are not keen on artichokes, just use some frozen peas instead.
The wine and raw chorizo add lots of flavour to the rice as it cooks. I like to use a medium-dry white wine.
I love the combination of cashews and chicken. Cashew nuts have a great texture and, in this recipe, the addition of the coconut adds another level of flavour. The radicchio lettuce is red and has a bitter taste. If you can’t find it in your local shop, you could use rocket instead.
The mango salsa is very versatile and is just as lovely with grilled prawns as it is in this salad. Just make sure your mango is ripe before you make it.
Baked chicken and chorizo rice with artichokes
Ingredients: Serves 4
1 x 300g jar of artichoke hearts, preserved in olive oil
4 chicken breast fillets, skin on
100g raw chorizo sausage, peeled and diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350g long-grain rice
150ml dry white wine
600ml chicken stock
200g baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
2 Drain the oil from the jar of artichokes into a bowl. Add one tablespoon of this oil to a casserole dish with a lid, place on the hob over a medium to high heat. Season the chicken breasts and add them to the dish, skin side down.
3 Cook for 2–3 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn over and cook for another minute or so, until sealed. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4 Add another tablespoon of the drained artichoke oil to the dish, then tip in the chorizo, onion and garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until the onion has softened but not coloured. Add the rice and cook for another two minutes, stirring, until the chorizo has begun to release its oil and all the rice grains are well coated.
5 Pour the wine into the casserole dish, stirring to combine. Then add the stock and fold in the artichokes. Arrange the chicken on top, pushing the breasts down into the rice.
6 Cover and bake for 30–35 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken and rice are cooked through and tender.
7 Remove the chicken breasts and stir in the spinach till wilted. Return the chicken breasts to the dish, then scatter the parsley and place directly on the table to serve.
Ingredients Serves 4
100g panko breadcrumbs
75g toasted cashew nuts
25g toasted coconut flakes
50g plain flour
1 egg
50ml milk
2 x 200g chicken fillets, sliced lengthways
1 tsp olive oil spray
1 bunch of asparagus
2 baby cos lettuces
1 small head of radicchio lettuce
Alfalfa sprouts, to garnish
For the mango salsa:
1 firm, ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
Juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
2 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the panko breadcrumbs, cashew nuts and coconut flakes in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend for 2–3 minutes, then tip into a shallow dish.
3 Place the flour in a dish and season with salt and pepper.
4 Whisk the egg and milk together in a separate dish. Dust each slice of chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip into the egg wash and coat in the cashew nut crumbs. Place the coated chicken strips on the lined baking sheet and spray lightly with the olive oil. Place in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
5 Meanwhile, to make the mango salsa, mix the mango with the red onion, lime juice, rapeseed oil and coriander, then season to taste and set aside at room temperature.
6 Break the woody stems off the asparagus and cut each one on the diagonal into two or three pieces, depending on their size. Blanch in a pan of boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, until just tender but still with a little bite. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
7 Trim down the cos lettuces and radicchio, then break into separate leaves and put in a large bowl with the blanched asparagus. Arrange in shallow bowls and place the cashew nut chicken strips on top. Spoon around the mango salsa and add the alfalfa sprouts to garnish.
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