Chicken is one of the most versatile meats for home cooking and pairs particularly well with creamy sauces.
Pasta dishes and pies are the most common ways to enjoy the two ingredients together but this Tuscan chicken recipe by Mary Berry is much more exciting.
The meal is one of many that were crafted from the Italian idea known as “cucina povera” (poor cooking), which is about making simple, inexpensive meals.
This recipe is just that, using chicken thighs instead of expensive breast meat and a blend of ingredients that are often found leftover in the fridge.
Sharing the dish on her website, Mary Berry described it as a “classic” that makes for “an easy supper”.
Method
Prepare the ingredients by finely chopping the onion and pepper (discard the seeds), then slice up the tomatoes. Crush the garlic cloves then set everything aside and move onto the chicken thighs.
Place them whole and raw in a large mixing bowl then add the flour, half the paprika, and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Toss together to coat the meat before heating some oil in a large, deep frying pan.
Set the pan over high heat, add the chicken and fry for four minutes on each side until browned and crisp, then transfer to a clean plate.
Add the chopped pepper and onion to the same pan the chicken was just cooked in (there’s no need to wash it in between).
Cook for five minutes over medium heat with a little more oil if required, then add the garlic and fry for just 30 seconds.
Boil the kettle with water ready to dissolve the stock cube, then stir and add to the pan along with the tomato puree, wine and halved tomatoes.
Return the rested chicken to the pan with any juices, cover, and reduce the heat a little. Leave the contents of the pan to simmer for 30 minutes, until tender.
Add the cream right at the end, along with the spinach and stir everything until the greens are wilted. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the parmesan before serving piping hot from the pan.
