enough self-pity, have a recipe

Categories: cooking-and-recipes

Date: 11 July 2007 13:03:39

Chicken in red lentil sauce (original recipe by Tana Ramsay, wife of Gordon, adapted by me).

Serves 1, twice

2 chicken thighs
1 packet (about 170g) diced pancetta (Sainsbury's sell one which is two blister packs together, which is handy because you only need to use half the packet at a time)
1 onion, sliced into half moons
Garlic to taste. I usually use 2 cloves.
8oz carrots
3oz red lentils
1tsp harissa paste*
1tbsp tomato puree
12floz white wine

Brown chicken thighs, 1 half of the packet of pancetta and the onion in some oil - about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic, cook for another couple of minutes. Add carrots, cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the harissa & tomato puree, stirring well to coat all the vegetables. Stir in the lentils, add the wine and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer, with the lid on, for 40 minutes.

Put the chicken thighs in a bowl, and spoon over some of the sauce. Eat.

You will have loads of sauce left over, so leave it to cool and refrigerate overnight (it also freezes). Next day, slice another onion into half moons, chop a carrot or two, and brown with the other half of the packet of pancetta. Add the leftover sauce and about 1/4 pint of water, bring to the boil and simmer until hot through, about 10 minutes. Eat.

*Harissa paste is a paste made with chillies, garlic, oil and various spices. You should be able to find it in the spices section of your supermarket. If you have a Sainsbury's, most of them have an area with “posh” food - truffle oil, vanilla pods, extra extra extra virgin olive oil hand-pressed by fairies by the light of the silvery moon, etc. You should find in there a jar of Belazu harissa paste. You may also find in that section a jar of smoked chilli jelly made by the same people. Buy it, because it is gorgeous.