Neven Maguire: forget the takeaway - try these chicken dishes instead

The lead-up to a new book is always an exciting time for me. The proofreading was completed a few weeks ago and after those few days of concentration, it feels nearly there.

Last week, I was delighted to attend the Gill Books pre-launch for their autumn book releases. It was good to meet all of the people in Gill again, and to meet the journalists, who I know are so supportive of all things food in Ireland.

I still haven’t held the actual book in my hands, but am delighted to see the cover. Keep an eye out for Eat Out at Home.

Speaking of eating out at home, this spicy chicken noodle dish could also be made with chicken thighs or mini fillets. I love the combination of chicken and mango.

A lot of the mangoes we eat are grown in Madeira. I had a delicious tree-ripened one in Portugal recently. It is important that the mango is ripe, so if it is at all hard leave it to ripen in your kitchen before using.

Simply Better do delicious fresh mangoes and Thai Gold do a very good rice vermicelli (noodle). This marinade is one I use regularly. It goes well with meat, salmon and most other fish.

You can make it ahead. Sometimes I use Chinese five spice instead of the curry powder.

There are lots of interesting spices in the blackened chicken recipe which add to the black colour, but don’t worry, the black is all flavour as opposed to tasting burnt.

This recipe is lovely on the griddle pan or barbecue. When using spices my number one rule is: always use what you enjoy.

Happy Cooking,

Neven

Ingredients: serves 4

450g skinless chicken fillets

100g rice vermicelli noodles

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Small bunch fresh coriander

Handful fresh mint leaves

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into fine strips (stone discarded)

4 tbsp roughly chopped cashew nuts

For the marinade:

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp sunflower oil

For the dressing:

1 tsp caster sugar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Juice of 1 lime

4 tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1 To make the marinade, place the soy sauce in a bowl with the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, curry powder, garlic, basil and sunflower oil. Mix well to combine. Cut the chicken fillets into 3cm strips and stir into the marinade. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight is best to allow the flavours to penetrate the chicken.

2 Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for about five minutes until softened or according to packet instructions.

3 Place the red onion in a bowl of iced water for 2-3 minutes, this will make them crisp and mellow out the flavour a little.

4 To make the dressing, dissolve the sugar in the soy sauce in a small bowl and then whisk in the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice and sunflower oil.

5 Drain both the vermicelli and red onion well and place in a large bowl. Tear the coriander and mint leaves away from the stalks and add to the bowl along with the mango.

6 Preheat the grill to high. Place the chicken strips on a foil lined grill rack and cook for 5 minutes without turning. When cooked, cover with foil to keep warm.

7 Add the dressing and warm chicken with any juices into the noodles, then toss gently with your hands until well combined. Divide among plates, arranging in an attractive manner and scatter over the cashew nuts to serve.

Ingredients: serves 4

4 x 200g large skinned chicken breast fillets, at room temperature

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra sprigs, to garnish

4 tbsp light olive oil

For the salsa:

1 large red pepper

1 tbsp chilli oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 medium-hot red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mixed herbs (such as coriander and parsley)

1 ripe avocado

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish

Method

1 Mix together the chilli powder, paprika, garlic salt, thyme and parsley with half the olive oil in a shallow non-metallic dish. Add two teaspoons of pepper and half a teaspoon of salt to season. Add the chicken breasts and rub the mixture into the flesh. If time allows, cover with clingfilm and chill overnight to allow the flavours to penetrate the flesh.

2 To make the roasted red pepper salsa, you can roast the pepper in one of two ways. Spear the stalk end of the pepper on a fork and turn it over the flame of a gas flame on the hob, or use a blowtorch, turning regularly until the skin has blistered and blackened. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 and roast in a small roasting tin for 20-25 minutes until the skin is black. Leave to cool and then break in half. Remove the stalk, skin and seeds and discard. Cut the flesh into small dice cubes and place in a bowl.

3 Preheat the grill. Arrange the chicken fillets on the grill rack and cook for about 8 minutes on each side, basting with the remaining oil until the chicken is lightly charred and just tender - you could also cook these on a barbecue or on a griddle pan.

4 To finish the salsa, put the chilli oil, garlic and red chilli into a small pan and as soon as it starts to sizzle, pour it on to the roasted red pepper mixture, mixing well to combine. Add the lime juice, herbs and season to taste. Cut the avocado in half and peel off the skin, then dice the flesh, discarding the stone. Fold into the salsa and set aside.

5 Transfer the rested blackened chicken on to a chopping board and cut into slices on the diagonal. Arrange on plates with the roasted red pepper and avocado salsa. Garnish with the parsley sprigs to serve.

Read more

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