One-pan family meals to impress

Today I have two great one-pan family meals. I love recommending chicken thighs because they are full of flavour and good value. I always prefer the corn-fed chicken. There are leeks in this recipe and I think they are really underused. In France they are used a lot and they are referred to as the poor man’s asparagus. If you like, you could add a little white wine or some cider to this recipe for a little extra taste.

The Spanish seafood stew is very easy to make. For people who do not like fish, you could substitute chicken here. Monkfish is the ideal fish to use but it is quite expensive. The small monk tails are better value than the large ones. You could use brill instead, which is a good price. Or I like halibut. Simply Better have excellent king prawns. I like to use good-quality, whole Italian plum tomatoes and simply crush them up with my hands as I find the flavour is just so much better than from the chopped variety. And for a final flourish, this is a beautiful meal with smoked paprika. It is a great spice to keep in your cupboard.

Happy cooking.

Spring chicken and basil stew

Serves four

2 tbsp Donegal rapeseed oil with garlic

1 onion, chopped

2 small leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

450g (1lb) boneless and skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into quarters

350g (12oz) small new potatoes

500ml (18fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)

350g (12oz) broccoli, cut into small florets

350g (12oz) spring greens, shredded

150g (5oz) frozen petit pois

2 heaped tbsp pesto (homemade or shop-bought)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the oil in a large heavy based sauté pan. Add the onion and leeks and cook gently for about five minutes until softened. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper, then sauté until lightly coloured all over.

2 Add the potatoes to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat so a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Continue to cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

3 Add the broccoli to the chicken and potato mixture with the petit pois and spring greens, and stir well to combine. Cover again with a lid and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the pesto and serve immediately in wide-rimmed bowls.

Spanish seafood stew with chickpeas

Serves four to six

3 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 large onion, thinly sliced

500g (1 1/4lb) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm (1/2in) chunks

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 mild red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp paprika

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

400g (14oz) can whole plum tomatoes, crushed

300ml (1/2 pint) fish or chicken stock

400g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

225g (8oz) raw peeled king prawns

500g (1 1/4lb) skinless firm white fish fillets, cut into 50g (2oz) chunks

Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crusty bread, to serve

1 Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and stir to combine, then cover and cook for five minutes until the onion has softened. Add another tablespoon of the oil and then stir in the half of the garlic with the chilli and paprika and cook for another minute, stirring.

2 Squeeze over the lemon juice and allow to sizzle down. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan again. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender but still holding their shape.

3 Stir in the chickpeas and prawns and then nestle the pieces of fish into the top of the stew. Cover again and simmer for another five minutes or until the fish has cooked through and looks opaque.

4 Meanwhile, make the gremolata. Mix together the rest of the garlic with the lemon rind and parsley. Scatter over the stew and add another light drizzle of olive oil. Serve straight to the table with a basket of crusty bread, if liked. CL