Sunday, November 26, 2006

Roasted chicken breast with lemony Bombay potatoes

A confession: I love chicken. I could probably eat it every day and in my teenage years I did - I insisted on having for lunch on every school day, sandwiches made with those pre-roasted chicken breasts that cost a small fortune at the time in Sainsburys. That stopped when I went to university and realized that I had developed a habit that was much too expensive for my student budget. My chicken obsession has never really gone away but it has been moderated by my growing taste for other foods; I have also become increasingly aware of the horrific conditions in which battery chickens live and have switched to free-range or organic, which necessarily means eating less chicken because it is twice the price. Anyway yesterday we went to York for the day - it was the St Nicholas Fayre, an annual four-day event with food and Christmas gifts on sale around the market square; mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and carol singers. When we arrived, it was less than festive: the rain was pouring down and everyone was sporting an umbrella like a weapon, so that as you advanced slowly through the assembled throngs, you had to beware of having your eye poked out by a passing umbrella spike. Trolley rage has nothing on umbrella rage. The weather, thankfully, cleared up; we managed a nice lunch in Cafe Rouge and a good mooch around the shops. I found a lovely chocolatiers shop and bought some little Christmas presents there, and I found several bookshops as well as a cardigan in Mango and trousers in Next (both black, the cardigan short with pretty buttons, both for work) and then we went to the market and tasted a few cheeses, most of which we ended up buying (and more besides). We walked around most of the day and returned home shattered but happy, eager for a dinner that would be easy but tasty - a sort of TV dinner without the additives. Jamie's roasted chicken breast with lemony Bombay potatoes, made with mainly store-cupboard ingredients, fitted the bill. Jamie included four chicken breast recipes for one person in the book, all one-tray oven-roasted recipes, all easy; I had already made the chicken breast with creamy butternut squash and chilli which was delicious. This dish was slightly more effort as it involved par-boiling potatoes, but it is as easy as can be - a ready meal without the spooky parts. Perfect.

To make it, I peeled and diced some potatoes, brought them to the boil in cold salted water, simmered for a few minutes, drained and allowed to steam in a colander. I put turmeric, lemon zest, ground cumin, chopped coriander, chopped red pepper, and matchsticks of fresh ginger, into a bowl with lemon juice; to the bowl I added skin-on chicken breasts and the potatoes. I tossed the ingredients in the bowl with a splash of olive oil and seasoned, before removing the chicken, putting the potatoes in an oven-proof tray, and topping with lemon slices and chicken (skin up). I drizzled with olive oil and cooked for 25-35 minutes (oven pre-heated to 200).



For a reason that I can't fathom, Jamie's version of this looks orange. In fact, when I first looked at his picture, I thought his potatoes were sweet potatoes or squash, or even carrots, because they look so orange. Mine, as you can see, is decidedly yellow (which is what I would expect from the turmeric...). Anyway the important thing is that ours was delicious, yellow or orange. The potatoes had inhaled the lemon, chilli and spices and had lovely flavour; the chicken was also very tasty from its brief fling with the spices and lemon. All in all, this is a good, easy, homemade version of a ready meal: you can shove it in the oven and do something else, which is just as easy as putting one of those spookily long-lasting readymeals in the oven/microwave. On his recent programme where he welcomed ready-meal junkies to River Cottage, Hugh F-W's scientific analysis of one ready meal found a ground-up beetle inside, which should be enough to put the nation off, but a nosy peek into other people's trollies in Tesco earlier suggests to me that people are still mainlining them. My way of converting them probably would be less extreme (and maybe less effective) than Hugh's, when he had them witness the slaughter of his animals and preparing dead animals from scratch for dinner. I would suggest that people learn to cook their own fast food, their own ready meals - that way you get the best of both worlds: you skip the additives but you still have time to watch The X Factor.

22 comments:

julie said...

I love the colours of this dish!

Lady M said...

This looks great and really easy! Mmmmm.

litlove said...

This does look rather lovely. I've now put Jamie's book on my Christmas wish list! But sometimes I do think his photos a bit misleading. There's a chicken, tomatoes, basil, garlic and chilli casserole of his I make a lot, and it's swimming in liquid in his photo, and yet you add no liquid to the ingredients. How does he do it?

Kathryn said...

It was an easy and very tasty dinner, so do try it, all.
Litlove - I know what you mean about the pictures. I have just had the same reaction to a yummy lamb dish - has the photographer used a bit of artistic licence??

Anyway it tastes good!

Kathryn x

Anonymous said...

Maybe it will be good without coriander?
I have no idea where to find fresh coriander now.

I'm hesitating to cook or not to cook... But I would like to try.

Maybe there is way to exchange it with something not fresh\dry?

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I could have sworn I've been to this website before but after checking through some of the post I realized it's new to me.
Anyways, I'm definitely delighted I found it and I'll be book-marking and checking back often!


my page :: anti aging tips for 60s
Also visit my website ; natural anti aging skin care

Anonymous said...

Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you ever been blogging for?
you made running a blog look easy. The full glance of your site
is great, as neatly as the content!

My web site - http://umbrellaholder.net
Also visit my site ; home improvement tips and tricks

Anonymous said...

Your mode of describing the whole thing in this piece of writing
is truly good, all be capable of simply know it, Thanks a lot.


Check out my web page - perfumeatomizer.net
My web blog :: home beauty remedies

Anonymous said...

' Satanic Ritual - Decorate the space with human sacrifice, goblets of blood, pentagrams, and things draped in black. I won't spoil your surprises
and give away any more details. You Divide everyone at the party into
two groups, or tribes.

Also visit my blog apply for a credit card

Anonymous said...

You still have to expert all of those other guitar chords so as to engage in very easy popular music.

Www. The last type of chords we will discuss in this article are spread
voicings.

Review my site; opm songs with piano chords and notes

Anonymous said...

- Exorphins: Anti-nutrient found in dairy products and wheat.
Other typical tasks were gathering wood, shelter building,
digging, carrying a variety of heavy items, tool construction and dancing.
- Lecithin.

my web-site: paleo diet and pregnancy

Anonymous said...

In this article I will teach you the basics of how to have fun learning your chords by playing out of a
Fake Book. Instead, focus on a single thing or just
a couple of things, and try not to move forward until you have reached those goals.
Best Regards.

Here is my website :: learn piano chords and notes

Anonymous said...

The players would begin as members of the SCA, going to
Phoenix for the Estrella War. This was zero cost because
the students went to local stores and asked for either donations and gift
cards to purchase these items. Every Halloween party that people remember later in the year by saying things like
"Do you remember so-and-so's Halloween party last year.

My blog post - las vegas real estate

Anonymous said...

A result of the immense size and strength that these animals
can grow to means pets should be leash trained from a young age.
This will help make navigating the weaving poles a habit for you dog.
Dog Training Using Praise.

Also visit my web-site ... Malaysia guard dog training accessories

Anonymous said...

Some were practical, of course, but others were psychological and emotional.
You must definitely be planning to make it special and memorable
by keeping a good theme, ordering the best food and choosing the best games.

28.

Feel free to surf to my web-site pub quiz anagrams

Anonymous said...

The decor on the inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful.

Anna had been looking through my phone while I was naked.

Her father, Bruce Paltrow, produced the critically acclaimed TV series
that is considered the precursor to many medical shows today,
St.

my page :: pub quiz area

Anonymous said...

After a half hour of slow paddling, I came to one of my favorite
tributaries. They are comfortable, they do not get too hot,
they provide protection from various hazards such as my gravel
road, and unlike some competitors they are not prone to smelling bad.
Pack these four pairs of travel shoes for a Disney vacation and
they'll ensure that you're prepared for any occasion.


Feel free to visit my blog ... water shoes

Anonymous said...

The decor on the inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful.
Local country clubs are offering trivia fun for as little
as forty dollars per couple. 28.

Here is my web-site :: pub quiz anagrams

Anonymous said...

In that case, this kind of question should not be taken from any
show telecasted in specific country. Below are
listed a few popular pubs where one can chill in Mumbai.
Theme Format: It is almost like standard format of the pub quiz.


My weblog - good pub quiz names

Anonymous said...

The decor on the inside of the restaurant
is absolutely beautiful. Local country clubs are offering trivia fun for
as little as forty dollars per couple. The Bull's Head Pub, Bangkok.

Feel free to visit my weblog ... free pub quiz and answers

Anonymous said...

DJ spins out on Saturday nights. *Rounds table format.
Ask your local club to run this for you.

Feel free to surf to my blog post - free pub quiz And answers

Anonymous said...

The only hurdle to accessing this is of course human limitations and the fact that the brain does not function solely as a learning tool
for the human being. You must definitely be planning to make it special
and memorable by keeping a good theme, ordering
the best food and choosing the best games.
The decline of the East side blues scene was disheartening, but, it also gave rise to the need for a fresh start, which came
in the form of the next blues-only venue, Antone's, founded by the late Clifford Antone, during the summer of 1975.

Also visit my web site pub quiz austin