Cajun chicken chilli
You know when you make something really yummy and then somehow find a way to make it even yummier? Even if you're like me and the most critical cook around, if you decide to make this dish, prepare to self-congratulate. It's SO good.
So how do you improve on Cajun chicken? Pull it into juicy shreds and make it a chilli. Garlic passata and yummy chickpeas bulk this out into a couple more servings, while the chorizo and fresh rosemary pack a punch of fragrance and flavour that works perfectly with the smoky paprika and the slight heat from the crushed chillies. Serve it with the easy homemade tortilla chips from my sweet potato chilli recipe, some diced avocado plus all the fillings you personally like on your chilli: some sour cream, a sprinkling of melty cheese, some sliced jalapeños... You can't go wrong.
I know I was meant to post this ages ago but work has been really busy of late, which I love. We're preparing this great event for our young people next week so our offices are a mess of boxes and merchandise like inflatables and posters. I have this really unhealthy view that if I'm not rushed off my feet, I'm not being useful enough so I like the moments I need to think fast. Normally I save the weekends for cooking but yesterday I was in the city all day for a screening of an awesome short film in which Jess was the chief makeup and hair designer. Aside from me bursting with pride, we had a few glasses of Pimm's in the pretence of warm weather, chatted with her colleagues and then got completely soaked on the way home. We went to grab burgers for a chilled Netflix evening at mine and were veritably dripping all over the restaurant. It was a great day.
If you're been crazy busy too, I hope you got some downtime this weekend. It's the manic days you really appreciate coming home to a pot of chilli in the fridge, all ready to warm your tired bones. And since the upcoming week is a whole ten degrees cooler than the last one, you'll probably want some warming up ;) Can you tell I'm happy? This is the weather I signed up for, London.
Cajun chicken chilli
Serves 3-4.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 batch of Cajun chicken
- 1 3/4 cups garlic passata (or add 3 chopped garlic cloves to plain passata)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 75g diced chorizo
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped coriander
METHOD
Once your chicken is fully cooked, shred it using two forks right in the pan so it soaks up all the flavourful juices and spices.
Lightly drizzle a large pan with olive oil and then fry the chorizo and rosemary for about 3 minutes over medium-low. Add the rest of the ingredients aside from the coriander and bring to a bubbling simmer. Add the shredded chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve with your choice of toppings: tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, whatever.
Change things up with leftovers: stuff the chilli into a wrap or taco shells or serve over brown rice.
