🍳 Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breast, with Spicy Peas 🍳

Ingredients skin on chicken breast - preferably on the bone 200g frozen peas, defrosted in cold water 1 shallot 1 red chilli - deseeded 4 garlic gloves minced reserving 1 for basting 30g spanish chorizo diced 6 springs fresh thyme 1 handfull chives 1/2 leom juice 1 tbsp vinegar (I used a sweetened sushi rice vinegar) 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp creme fraiche 1-2 tbsp olive oil or a neutral cooking oil Salt and pepper to taste

A chicken breast cooked really well is one of the my favourite things in the world. A badly cooked on is one of the worst. I think this process, which follows similar steps to cooking a nice steak is the best. Crispy golden skin, tender meat, bathed in aromatic foaming butter and its own drippings. I have some version of this at least once a week, and I have to admit I prefer it to a chicken thigh these days. I know that will cause an emotional reaction from the haters, but that’s just where I’m at in my little life.

These peas are inspired by a recipe I recently learned from Chef Adam Byatt (check out his recipe for French-style peas & stuffed chicken leg). They’re flavoured with the chicken’s basting butter and fond, chorizo and fresh fruity spice from red chillies that I de-seed to focus on the flavour and not the heat. Finished with fresh lemon, crème fraîche and a good handful of chives. It’s a meal you can come back to over and over, making little changes here and there to suit your mood.

Season the chicken with salt on all sides and leave it in the fridge overnight. You can skip this step but its worth it if you can organise yourself. It seasons the chicken more deeply and dries out the skin for a crispier texture skin and just generally intensifies the flavour.

Before cooking, let it sit out until it comes up to room temperature. Add a generous amount of oil to a frying pan and set over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, place the chicken breast skin-side down and apply weight straight away. Transfer the pan to a 175°C oven and cook until the chicken reaches your desired doneness. I cook it to about 65c as the temp continues to climb while you baste.

Return the pan to a low heat, flip the chicken so the skin is facing up, then add the butter, garlic, thyme and shallot. As the butter foams, baste continuously for at least 3 minutes. Rest the chicken on a tray, spooning over some of the basting butter while keeping at least half in the pan.

While the chicken rests, deglaze the pan over medium heat with the garlic, shallots and chorizo making sure to scrape up any fond left on the pan (the browned bits stuck to the bottom that hold a lot of flavour).

Cook until softened and lightly browned, then add the frozen peas, vinegar and a splash of water. Check for seasoning before adding salt, as some will already be in the pan from the chicken. Let it cook for one to two minutes before turning the heat off and stirring in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. Adding the lemon off the heat keeps its flavour bright and fresh. Cooked lemon juice can turn a little flat and bitter, while fresh juice keeping thing popping. Finish by stirring through lots of chives and taste again - finsih with some black pepper and salt if needed.

Slice the chicken at an angle, it looks good and also creates a really pleasing texture to bite into. Lay the sliced chicken over the peas and finish with the resting juices and butter.