Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs

Pick both the thyme leaves and the sage leaves from their stalks (discard the stalks from both herbs). Roughly chop the sage leaves.

Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, leek, and to start with, a pinch of chilli (you can add more or less depending on how much you like spice!) and all of the thyme and sage. Season with salt and cook gently until soft, 8-9 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip: Turn the heat down if the ingredients start to brown.

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, lay in the chicken skin side down and fry until the skin is golden and crisp, 5 mins. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands after handling raw chicken. Once golden, turn and cook for 5 mins on the other side, then continue cooking, turning every 2 mins for 4-6 more mins or until the chicken is cooked through. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when no longer pink in the middle.

While the chicken cooks, drain and rinse the lentils in a sieve. Once the veggies are soft, add the lentils along with a splash of water, stock powder and crème fraîche. Stir to dissolve the stock powder, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.Add more chilli if you want it spicier!