Spring Chicken ‘All the Veg’ Bean Cassoulet

Serves 2

Takes 1 hour 15 minutes

A dish to make when you feel the need for nourishment. Packed full of seasonal veg, with a creamy yet herby bean stew topped with crispy tender chicken for a contrasting texture. It will certainly leave you feeling as good as a spring chicken! A wonderful mid week meal with minimal effort for when you’ve had one of ‘those days’. Sink into this with a glass of Chardonnay and all will be right with the world.

1. Place a piece of clingfilm down on a chopping board and lay the chicken thighs on top, place another piece of clingfilm over the top and using a rolling pin or heavy object, give them a bash so they flatten to around 1cm thick. This will help tenderise the meat as well as helping it cook quicker.
2. Combine the smoked paprika, ground coriander, garlic granules, salt and 3 tbsp olive oil in a bowl, mixing until a loose paste and add in the chicken thighs. Massage the marinade into the meat and set aside for later.
3. In a large pan, pour in a generous glug of olive oil and set on a low heat. Add in the sliced garlic whilst the pan is still cold and slowly bring up to temperature, this will help infuse the oil with a wonderful garlicky flavour – just be careful not to burn it as this will make it bitter.
4. When the garlic is slightly coloured and smelling fragrant, add in the chopped leek and cook until softened. Add the bacon lardons, keeping the temperature to medium. Fry until the lardons are browned but not too crispy then pour in the haricot beans and stir to combine.
5. Add in the chicken stock and 2/3 of the asparagus, keeping the tips for later. Turn to a low heat and let blip away whilst you cook the rest.
6. Set a skillet pan on a medium-high heat and brush the courgettes and asparagus tips with a little oil. Once the pan begins to smoke, add in the courgettes and asparagus tips and char on both sides until they have coloured but still have a little crunch (you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan). Set aside for later.
7. Turn the heat down in the skillet to medium and place in the chicken thighs from earlier. Cook on one side for 4 minutes then flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Check for doneness, the meat should be opaque all the way through. Place on a plate, cover with a little foil and keep in a warm oven whilst you finish the cassoulet.
8. Bring the cassoulet back up to a medium heat and stir through the mascarpone to give it a lovely creaminess, along with the herby pesto.
9. Add the kale and stir until it has wilted then add the charred veg, retaining a few asparagus tips for garnishing along with the chopped parsley, stirring to combine.
10. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste at this stage.
11. Spoon into bowls then slice up the chicken thighs and place on top. Finish with the rest of the charred asparagus tips, a few fronds of dill and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, enjoy!

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• Olive oil
• 200g smoked bacon lardons
• 1 large leek, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 500g jar of haricot beans
• 1 tbsp mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbsp green pesto
• 200ml chicken stock
• 2 courgettes, sliced into disks
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into thirds
• 150g kale
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
• Handful of dill, for garnish
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling