Davina's Smart Carbs part two: Chicken crumble
This is totally amazing and such a perfect family supper. The topping is really crunchy and comforting but still low in calories so you can afford to help yourself to a generous portion. Love it.
SERVES 4
600g boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast fillets, trimmed of fat
1 tablespoon wholemeal spelt flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
15g butter
500g butternut squash, diced
3 leeks, sliced
1 teaspoon dried sage
550ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
salt and black pepper
TOPPING
100g quinoa, well rinsed
250g cauliflower
10g butter
15g Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 Cut the chicken into chunks and dust them with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken until it’s all well browned. It’s best to do this in a couple of batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Set each batch aside when it’s ready.
2 Remove all the chicken from the pan, then melt the butter in it and add the squash and leeks. Stir until the vegetables are coated with butter, then sprinkle in the sage and season with salt and pepper. Pour in 300ml of stock, reserving the rest for cooking the quinoa.
3 Bring the stock to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave it to simmer for 7 minutes. Add the browned chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. By this point the vegetables should be almost tender and the chicken will be cooked through.
4 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and vegetables to an ovenproof dish. Bring the cooking liquid back to the boil and continue to cook until it’s reduced by half. Add the crème fraîche and simmer for a few minutes until you have a sauce with the consistency of single cream. Pour this over the chicken and vegetables in the dish. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
5 For the topping, put the quinoa in a saucepan and toast it over a medium heat. Pour over the reserved chicken stock and season with salt. Bring the stock to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover the pan and leave the quinoa to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the quinoa to stand for 5 minutes.
6 Divide the cauliflower into florets and blitz them in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. Heat half the butter in a large frying pan. Add the cauliflower and the cooked quinoa and fry them for at least 5 minutes, until everything starts to turn a light golden brown. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley, then check the seasoning.
7 Sprinkle the topping over the chicken filling, then dot over the rest of the butter. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the topping has browned round the edges and the filling is piping hot.
471 calories per serving
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