Tray-Baked Chicken, Squashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
Serves 4
POTATOES
700g small red-skinned potatoes or new potatoes
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
a couple of fresh bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic
SPINACH
a bunch of spring onions
3 cloves of garlic
a few fresh thyme tips
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
a large knob of butter
400g prewashed baby spinach
100ml single cream
25g Parmesan cheese
CHICKEN
dried oregano
sweet paprika
a knob of butter
4 x 180g skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
300g cherry tomatoes on the vine
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary
SEASONINGS
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
TO START Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Fill and boil the kettle. Put a medium saucepan on a medium heat, a large frying pan on a low heat and a large shallow pan on a medium heat. Turn the grill to full whack.
POTATOES Wash the potatoes, then halve lengthways (or leave whole if using new potatoes) and add to the saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover with boiled water, put the lid on and boil hard for around 12 to 14 minutes, or until cooked through.
SPINACH Trim and finely slice the spring onions. Add to the large shallow pan with a splash of olive oil. Crush in 3 cloves of unpeeled garlic and add a swig of boiled water. Pick in the leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, finely grate in 1/4 of a nutmeg and add the knob of butter. Leave to tick away for around 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
CHICKEN Turn the heat under the empty frying pan to high. Get out a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Sprinkle over a good pinch of dried oregano, salt and pepper and paprika, then drizzle over some olive oil and add a lug to the hot frying pan now too, along with the knob of butter. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the greaseproof paper and roll them in the flavours. Add to the hot pan and fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden on both sides. While this is happening, clear away the greaseproof paper and wash your hands.
SPINACH Pile the spinach into the pan with the spring onions and leave to wilt. You may need to do this in batches but it will wilt quickly. Keep stirring so nothing catches.
CHICKEN Get out a nice roasting tray, then quarter the lemon and chuck it in the tray along with the vine tomatoes. Tip in the chicken breasts and any juices from the pan. Use tongs to arrange everything nicely, then lay the bacon on top of the breasts. Put the frying pan back on a medium heat, add the sprigs of rosemary to the pan and move them around so that they are coated in the juices. Pop them into the tray, then whack the tray under the grill for at least 14 minutes.
POTATOES Check the potatoes are cooked, then drain and let them steam dry for a minute or two. Add a couple of lugs of olive oil, leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary and the bay leaves to the empty frying pan. Put the potatoes on top of the herbs in a flat layer, drizzle over some olive oil and sprinkle over some salt. Crush in 6 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then turn the heat up to high. Get a flat lid from a smaller pan and really press down so you burst and squash the potatoes. Leave to colour, then toss after about 3 minutes and squash down again.
SPINACH Stir to help it along. Pour in the cream. Turn down the heat to low. Finely grate in the Parmesan and stir well.
POTATOES Keep checking, squashing and turning so the potatoes get golden all over.
TO SERVE Take the tray of chicken out from under the grill. Check the breasts are cooked through, then take straight to the table with the pan of spinach. Tip the potatoes on to a platter, take to the table and tuck in!
