Original recipe of the week: Lemony Chicken and Mash

It’s that time of year again, when warmer clothes begin to make their way out of storage and we start dreaming about more warming and slightly heavier meals at dinner time. So this week we are welcoming in September with a lovely and comforting dish, made with citrusy chicken cooked in a sticky stock and served with creamy mash.

This recipe is super easy to make and requires very little effort. If you’re looking to impress any guests, this one is also great as it packs a punch while also staying true to its simple and honest flavours.

Lemony Chicken and Mash

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes

What you will need:

For the chicken –

4 chicken fillets, sliced lengthways and flattened
5 large cloves of garlic, finely sliced
3 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon, halved lengthways and cut into ½cm slices
1 small red chilli, medium spice (optional)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in one cup boiling water
Ground white and black pepper

For the mashed potato –

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes
¾ cup whole milk
25g unsalted butter

What you need to do:

1. Peel and dice your potatoes and bring to the boil in a large saucepan.

2. Halve and flatten the chicken breasts (a rolling pin works well) before placing in a large frying pan with the vegetable oil on a high heat.

3. Season the chicken breasts with pepper and fry them on one side for two minutes then turn over, cooking for a further two minutes until the exterior of the chicken is no longer pink.

4. Turn down the heat and throw in the garlic, rosemary, lemon slices and chillies.

5. Pour in the chicken stock cubes dissolved in the water, season again with pepper and bring to the boil.

6. Leave on high heat for about ten minutes, until you notice the stock is starting to thicken. Make sure to keep turning the chicken fillets so they do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

7. After 10 minutes, lower the heat and cover the pan. Leave the chicken to simmer down for 30 minutes. (N.B. if you notice that the water is drying out, add 1/3 of a cup and monitor).

8. Check the potatoes are cooked all the way through and drain thoroughly.

9. In the same pot, add in ¾ cup milk, 25g butter and ½ tsp salt. Mash until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

10. Check that the chicken is cooked through and remove from the heat. Serve alongside the mash, with the remaining sauce from the chicken and the sliced lemons, chilli and garlic.

Rasha Barazi