When asked what his favourite food is, Patrick, our Head Chef, will say “French” with very little hesitation. French food is to Patrick, what lentils are to the French. Known as the poor man’s caviar, the humble lentil is an exalted ingredient in French cooking with a texture superior to that of any other lentil variety. It has a delicious nutty flavour with a moreish smooth interior and nutritional credentials to knock your socks off. It’s also a cousin to the the British pea. Enjoy!
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
½
Red Chilli
1
Carrot
½
Celery Stick
(Contains Celery)
1
Leek
3
Thyme
2
Chicken Breasts
1
Organic Lentils
3
Creme Fraiche
(Contains Milk)
Peel and dice the carrot into tiny cubes (less than ½cm cubes if possible). Dice the celery into tiny cubes too. Chop the very bottom and the leafy top from the leek. Chop the leek into ½cm discs. Finely chop as much chilli as you dare (we used ½ tbsp).
Pinch the thyme stalks between thumb and index finger and run your fingers along the stalk to strip off the leaves.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, leek, chilli and thyme leaves to the pan. Add ¼ tsp of salt and cook gently for around 8 mins until soft. Tip: Turn the heat down if the ingredients start to brown off.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm. Use a rolling pin or the bottom of a saucepan to whack the chicken. Tip: You want the chicken to be less than 1cm thick all over.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the chicken and cook for around 4 mins on each side. Season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper whilst cooking. Tip: The chicken is ready when it is no longer pink in the middle.
Thoroughly rinse and drain the lentils. Add them to the pan of vegetables with 2 tbsp of water and 3 tbsp of crème fraîche. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper (taste and add more if needed). Spoon the mixture onto plates and top with the cooked chicken.