Here is a recipe that is so simple and tasty that you might do the chicken dance with delight. I’m a leg girl – chicken legs and thighs have the best flavour in my opinion, as they are juicy and delicious. The brown meat, as it is referred to, has more flavour than the chicken breast but mysteriously is less popular.
This is healthy fast food – or it’s what fast food should be. Goat’s cheese is easier to digest than cow’s cheese and I love the slightly sour zing you get from a good one: it complements the spinach puree excellently and gives much more depth of flavour to the dish, not to mention the calcium and bundles of other good vitamins. The spinach is packed with vitamin K – trust me, your bones will thank you for this.
Serves 2
cooking oil 1 tsp
chicken thighs 4
salt and pepper
butter 20g
salt a good pinch
baby spinach 200g
sugar a pinch
goat’s cheese 80g
Place a frying pan on a medium heat and pour in your cooking oil. Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, place in the pan and cook until the skin becomes crispy. This will take around 10 minutes.
While your chicken cooks, in a medium pot, put the butter, a good pinch of salt and most of your spinach (keep a handful to garnish). When the spinach wilts down (this is super quick) pop into a blender and blitz. You might need to add a drop of water to make the puree liquid enough.
Your chicken should almost be done. Check it’s crispy and if it is, flip it on to the other side while you get your plates and cutlery ready. After a minute or two you’re ready to serve.
Serve the spinach puree on the bottom of your plate or bowl, then break your goat’s cheese into chunks. Place the chicken thighs on top, then garnish with some extra spinach leaves and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Anna Haugh is the head chef and owner of Myrtle, London SW10. To order a copy for £22.88 go to guardianbookshop.com
• This article was amended on 27 May 2024. A subheading on an earlier version referred to chicken legs instead of thighs.
