The British asparagus season is short, so make the most of this beautiful ingredient while you can. Simon Rimmer's succulent chicken with asparagus and rice is a wise choice.
Ingredients
- 225g asparagus spears, woody stems snapped off
- 4 free-range chicken breasts, skin on
- 50ml double cream
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250g basmati and wild rice
For the sauce
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp roughly chopped fresh
- oregano leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 100g mascarpone
Method
- 1. For the sauce, put all the ingredients, except for the mascarpone, into a pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Blend in a food processor and pass through a sieve into a clean pan, stir through the mascarpone and season to taste.
- 2. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus tips in a small pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside. Prepare the chicken by pulling off the little tail fillet and cutting horizontally through the chicken to make a pocket. Sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper.
- 3. Chop the asparagus and place in a food processor along with the chicken tail fillets, cream and seasoning. Blend until smooth. Divide between the 4 breasts and pack into the pockets, using a teaspoon. When filled secure each chicken breast together with cocktail sticks, as pictured opposite.
- 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken, skin-side down for 8 minutes, until golden, then turn over and cook for a further 8 minutes, until the chicken and stuffing are cooked through.
- 5. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Warm through the tomato sauce, divide the rice between plates and place the chicken breasts on top. Pour over the sauce to serve.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 779kcals, 43g fat (16.3g saturated), 41.3g protein, 56g carbs, 5g sugar, 0.5g salt