Crispy Chicken Thighs with Savoury Puy Lentil Ragout Ainsley Harriott Recipe

Crispy Chicken Thighs with
Savoury Puy Lentil Ragout
Ainsley Harriott Recipe
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs with skin on, bones removed
2 leeks, trimmed, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled, finely diced
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely diced
225g puy lentils, cooked
3 tbsp olive oil
125g pancetta, cubed (optional)
300ml chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
Parsley, chopped (optional)
Method
1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the chicken thighs skin side down
for 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is crispy. Carefully turn the chicken over and cook for a
further 5-6 minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for 5
minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the pancetta if using and cook for a few
minutes and when slightly browned add the diced leeks, celery and carrots and then cook for
8-10 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir in the cooked lentils and the stock. Season to taste and simmer for a few minutes until
most of the stock has been absorbed.
4. Carve the chicken into 2 to 3 slices and serve on top of the lentils with a sprinkling of
chopped parsley.
As seen at the Good Food & Wine Show 2013
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Salmon and Spinach Fishcakes
with Beetroot and Horseradish Relish
Ainsley Harriott Recipe
Ingredients
450g skinless boneless salmon fillet
2 tbsp olive oil
450g floury potatoes
175g young spinach, washed
Grated zest of ½ lemon
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped
2-3 tbsp plain flour
Salt and black pepper
25g butter
Watercress or rocket leaves to serve
Lemon wedges to garnish
Method
1. Preheat the oven 190c/375f
2. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the salmon, season with salt and pepper and then cover
with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
3. Using a fork flake the fish into pieces and in a large bowl mix and combine with the mashed
potato, spinach, lemon zest and capers. Season well. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions
and shape into round patties about 4cm thick. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Lightly coat the fish cakes in seasoned flour. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and
cook the fishcakes for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
As seen at the Good Food & Wine Show 2013
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Beetroot and Horseradish Relish
Ingredients
250g cooked beetroot, peeled and ready to grate
1 heaped tsp horseradish sauce
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
2 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche
Juice of ½ a lemon
Method
1. Coarsely grate the beetroot into a bowl. Add the horseradish, parsley, chives and yoghurt or
crème fraiche. Season with salt and pepper and then mix well and add lemon juice to taste.
2. Serve the fishcakes with a watercress and rocket salad with lemon wedges and the beetroot
horseradish relish.
As seen at the Good Food & Wine Show 2013
Page 3 of 5
Shrikand with Poached Cardamom
Apricots
Ainsley Harriott Recipe
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
2x 500g pots of natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp milk
Pinch of saffron
100g icing sugar, plus extra if needed
50g caster sugar (half for the apricots compote)
1-2 tsp rosewater, depending on the strength
Juice of 3 oranges
300g dried apricots
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
50g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
Method
1. If using natural yoghurt, set a sieve over a large bowl and line with a couple of layers of
clean muslin, tip in the yoghurt and cover loosely with cling-film. Chill for a few hours or
preferably overnight, by which time the excess liquid would have drained away from the
yoghurt. Alternatively use thick Greek yoghurt.
2. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan or in the microwave, add the saffron and infuse for about
1 hour.
3. Tip the yoghurt into a mixing bowl, add the saffron milk and gradually beat in the sugars and
the rosewater until smooth with the desired sweetness (add more sugar if you like). Cover
and chill until needed.
As seen at the Good Food & Wine Show 2013
Page 4 of 5
4. Place the orange juice and apricots in a saucepan, add the cardamom pods and 25g sugar
and simmer for 5 minutes. Now remove from heat and allow cooling completely.
5. Spoon the shrikand into martini style glasses, top with the apricots and orange syrup and
scatter over some chopped pistachios to serve.
As seen at the Good Food & Wine Show 2013
Page 5 of 5