4 new hen recipes from Katrina Meynink

There’s something so reassuring about throwing collectively a “hen one thing” to get us by the midweek grind. It’s dependable, will be cooked shortly or low and sluggish, and it’s adaptable to our wants when work and life get entangled with our dinner schedule. The next recipes are equal components consolation, and freshness and light-weight, relying on the temper and/or temperature outdoors.

Zaatar garlic butter hen and risoni with spring greens

What I like about this, aside from its one-dish-and-done nature, is the adaptability of the greens. Nestle in no matter is plentiful and in-season and this can be a cost-effective dinnertime win. Additionally: don’t skip on the garlic butter half. It takes this dish to glory.

Elements

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 4-6 hen marylands, pores and skin on
• 1 tbsp zaatar
• 1½ cups risoni
• 1 cup grated halloumi
• handful of cavolo nero leaves, roughly chopped
• 2¼ cups hen inventory
• 6-8 child zucchini* (with their flowers, optionally available)

Zaatar garlic butter

• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• ½ tbsp zaatar
• 40g butter
• coarsely torn smooth herbs to serve, akin to tarragon, mint, flat-leaf parsley

Methodology

1. Preheat oven to 190C fan-forced (210C typical).
2. Drizzle the olive oil within the base of a giant roasting dish. Add the hen marylands, pores and skin aspect up, and provides them a superb swish within the oil. Scatter over the zaatar. Pop within the oven and cook dinner for 20 minutes.
3. Mix the risoni, grated haloumi and cavolo nero in a bowl. When the hen has had its preliminary cook dinner, add the risoni combination into the tray, across the items of hen. Pour over the hen inventory, being cautious to keep away from getting it on the hen pores and skin. Prepare the zucchini, or no matter seasonal greens you’re utilizing, on prime of the risoni, and return the tray to the oven for an additional half-hour. Take away from the warmth.
4. Add the garlic butter elements to a saucepan and place over medium warmth. Cook dinner, swirling usually to forestall the spices from burning, till the butter has melted and the garlic is golden.
5. Pour the butter excessive of the hen. Scatter with herbs, season generously with salt and pepper, and serve.

Serves 4-6

Be aware: When you can’t discover child zucchini, minimize a few commonplace zucchini lengthways into quarters as an alternative.

Pizza hen with pepperoni, mozzarella and roasted tomatoes

That is simple, tacky and scrumptious. Served with some crunchy bread and a vibrant salad, it’s equal components consolation and freshness as we gently welcome the hotter climate. When you can, use an ovenproof deep-sided frying pan to maneuver this into the one-pot marvel territory, however make sure that it’s a big pan so all the pieces will get a fair tan within the oven.

Elements

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg hen thigh cutlets, pores and skin on
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 tbsp contemporary oregano
• 3-4 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup vodka
• ½ cup pouring cream
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 200g mozzarella
• 80g pepperoni

Methodology

1. Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C typical).
2. Add the olive oil to an ovenproof frying pan and place over medium warmth. As soon as shimmering, add the hen, pores and skin aspect down, and switch the warmth to low. Cook dinner for 10 minutes or till the pores and skin has rendered and appears golden and crisp. Gently take away the hen to a plate.
3. Scale back the warmth to low, add the onion to the pan and cook dinner till smooth and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook dinner till aromatic, earlier than including the tomato paste, and cook dinner till the paste darkens a little bit. Stir within the vodka and cream. Add the cherry tomatoes, then nestle the hen again in, pores and skin aspect up. Scatter over the mozzarella and pepperoni.
4. Pop within the oven for 30-40 minutes or till the cheese has melted and the pepperoni is crisp. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve scorching with bread for scooping the cheese and saucy goodness, and a salad for freshness.

Serves 4-6

Rooster shish

The marinade can be the sauce – that’s instantly a win. This works after marinating for a number of days within the fridge, as a lot because it does after a fast plunge bathtub within the saucy goodness, earlier than throwing on the grill.

Elements

• 2 massive roasted marinated peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper* (Turkish pepper flakes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for grilling
• 3 tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ cup Greek yoghurt
• 700g hen thighs, minimize into evenly sized strips (about 2cm thick)

Optionally available to serve:

• flatbreads
• scorching chips
• leftover sauce
• extra contemporary mint leaves

Methodology

1. Add the roasted peppers, garlic, honey, tomato paste, Aleppo pepper, olive oil and chopped mint to a meals processor and blitz till you get a thick sauce-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add half the combination to a bowl with the yoghurt and stir to mix. Add the sliced hen thigh items, turning to coat, ensuring the hen is submerged within the marinade. Reserve the remaining capsicum combination for serving. (You may marinate the hen for as much as 24 hours or just carry to room temperature on the bench when you collect your accompaniments for the dish.)
3. Folding the strips of hen again on themselves, thread hen onto steel or bamboo skewers (if utilizing bamboo, first soak the skewers in water for half-hour to minimise burning). You’ll want about six skewers.
4. Flip a barbecue scorching plate to medium-high warmth. Add loads of olive oil to the plate to forestall the hen from sticking, and cook dinner the skewers for 1-2 minutes both sides. Pop the lid down and cook dinner for one more 5 minutes or till golden and charred in a number of spots, and simply cooked.
5. Serve with flatbreads, scorching chips, the reserved capsicum sauce and additional yoghurt and contemporary mint.

Serves 5-6

Be aware: Dried chilli flakes will be substituted for Aleppo pepper

Sticky hen and edamame lettuce cups

Make this in double batches. It really works like a dream for work and faculty lunches for the times that observe. And it’s hand-on-heart simply nearly as good chilly as it’s heat from the cook dinner. There may be nothing higher than a salad that may final the gap within the fridge.

Elements

Marinade

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup mirin
• 2 tbsp candy soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 massive stalk lemongrass, white half solely grated (or use 3 tbsp store-bought lemongrass paste)

To assemble

• 4 massive hen thighs
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, heat
• 1 cup mint leaves, shredded
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 cup cooked podded edamame, heat or cool
• 2 x cos lettuce, leaves separated
• crunchy chilli oil, to serve (optionally available)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, to serve

Methodology

1. Add the marinade elements to a saucepan and produce to a rolling boil. Add the hen thighs. When you really feel you don’t have sufficient liquid, add a little bit extra pineapple juice and candy soy. Cook dinner for 3 minutes, then take away from warmth and put aside to chill (the hen will cook dinner within the residual warmth). As soon as cool, take away the hen and shred utilizing two forks. Reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Make the salad by combining the rice, mint, coriander and edamame in a bowl. Add a number of tablespoons of the cooking liquid and toss to coat. Chances are you’ll wish to add a little bit extra; nevertheless, it’s there for flavour reasonably than to make this gloopy, so use a light-weight hand and toss completely earlier than including extra dressing.
3. Switch the rice combination to a serving bowl. Add the shredded hen alongside and prepare the cos lettuce leaves. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the hen, serve with chilli oil on the aspect, and let everybody assist themselves.

Serves 4

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