The Times Magazine - UK (2022-05-21)

42 The Times Magazine

QUICK COQ AU VIN

Serves 4

Anything with bacon, chicken, wine and potatoes ticks my boxes.

This is a great alternative to a roast for those Sundays when you’re

short on time. After a little prep, you just chuck everything in the

casserole dish and leave it for an hour.

• 1 onion, finely chopped • Olive oil • 2 leeks, sliced • 100g bacon
  lardons • 3 garlic cloves, grated • 200g mushrooms • 8 chicken thigh
  fillets • 1 tbsp cornflour • 150ml red wine • 500ml hot chicken stock


• 1 tsp mustard • ½ tsp dried thyme • 2 carrots, sliced, or 4 baby
  carrots • 500g new potatoes • Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan). In a large casserole dish,
   fry the onion in a little olive oil until brown and soft. Add the leeks and
   cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the bacon, garlic, mushrooms
   and chicken thighs and fry for 10 minutes.


2. Stir in the cornflour, then pour in the wine and hot stock, mixing
   quickly to avoid lumps. Stir in the mustard, thyme, carrots and potatoes.


3. Place the lid on the casserole and put in the oven for 1 hour. When
   it’s ready, stir thoroughly and serve scattered with fresh parsley.

Eat!

CHICKEN

CRISPY CHICKEN AND KALE ONE-PAN

Serves 4

If you want to bulk this out, stir in a drained tin of butter beans

or chickpeas in the final step.

• 8 chicken thighs, skin on • Salt and pepper • 1 tbsp oil • Zest of
  1 lemon • A few thyme sprigs • 300g new potatoes, washed and
  quartered • 200g carrots, peeled and cut into sticks • 250ml chicken
  stock • 2 tsp Dijon mustard • 160g kale

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place skin-side
   down in a large pan. Set it over a medium heat with the oil, half the
   lemon zest, the thyme and potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.
   2. Once the chicken skin is crispy and golden, turn the thighs and
   potatoes and add the carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes.


2. Mix together the stock and mustard and add to the pan. Bring
   to a simmer, add the kale and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for
   another 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the
   potatoes and carrots are tender. Remove from the heat, finish with
   the remaining lemon zest and serve. n