DINNERS:
Polenta-Crusted Chicken with Cauliflower “Mash”
Fried chicken is food for the soul, but not for the bottom – it‘s incredibly high in fat. My version has a healthy crust and the “mash” is practically carb free.
MAKES: 4 servings
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
100g/3½oz/²⁄³ cup polenta
50g/1¾oz/½ cup finely grated
Parmesan cheese
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tbsp plain chickpea flour or
soya flour
1 egg, beaten
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
each about 120g/4¼oz
fine sea salt
50g/1¾oz pea shoots, to serve
FOR THE “MASH”:
1 head of cauliflower, broken into
florets
a squeeze of lemon juice
4 tbsp reduced-fat fromage frais
freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6 and mist a baking tray with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together the polenta, Parmesan, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. Put the flour and egg in separate, shallow bowls. Dip each chicken breast into the flour to coat well, shaking off any excess flour, then dip each one in the egg and then in the polenta mixture.
2 Transfer the chicken to the prepared tray and bake for 20–30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the meat is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife or skewer. (If the polenta starts to burn, cover with foil and continue to bake until cooked through.)
3 Fifteen minutes before serving, make the “mash”. Put the cauliflower in a
steamer, or in a colander over a pan with about 5cm/2in water and bring to
a boil. Cover and steam for 10 minutes until very tender. Drain the cauliflower
and leave to cool a little, then purée with a hand blender, or transfer to a
blender or food processor and process until the mixture resembles mashed
potatoes, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time until smooth, if necessary. Stir in
the lemon juice and fromage frais and season with salt and pepper. Divide the
“mash” and chicken into 4 equal portions and serve with pea shoots.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 335kcal Protein 37g Carbohydrates 11g Fat 7.8g
