Equipment.

sharp knife & chopping board

blender

large baking tray

large saucepan/sauté pan with a lid

whisk

fine grater/zester

Ingredients.

2 chicken breast

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Splash of neutral cooking oil

Whole head of broccoli

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp EVOO

250g cooked beluga/puy lentils

Romesco Sauce:

230g roasted red peppers, half a jar

35g almonds, blanched or whole

½ tsp each: cayenne pepper, smoked paprika & salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

Tahini Sauce:

2 tbsp tahini, i love the Al Nakil or Belazu ones

3 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

1 small garlic clove, crushed/finely grated

½ tsp honey

Method.

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (fan)

2. Chicken: Place the chicken in a food bag or between two sheets of cling film/baking paper. Using a rolling pin or the bottom of a frying pan, bash the thickest part to create an even thickness across the whole fillets - ideally around 2-3cm thick

3. Meanwhile, preheat a pan (use one with a lid) on a medium-high heat

4. Season the chicken all over with the salt, oregano and pepper

5. Add a splash of oil and the chicken breasts to the hot pan. Allow to caramelise for around 2-3mins then flip over and turn the heat down to low. Place the lid on immediately and leave for 10mins. Do not be tempted to lift the lid! After 10mins, turn the heat off completely and leave for another 10mins (lid still on)

6. Broccoli: Place on a chopping board head-down and cut through the stalk repeatedly until you have thin ‘wedges’ of broccoli - no thicker than 1cm (ignore the natural florets and focus on dividing the stalk up for even cooking)

7. Rub the broccoli with EVOO and salt, and place on a baking tray. Bake for around 15-20mins until charred and the stalks are cooked through.

8. Add the lentils to the tray for the final 5 mins to warm through

9. Meanwhile make the 2 sauces:

10. Romesco: Rinse any brine off the peppers, add everything to a blender and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water to help if needed

    Tahini: Whisk together the tahini and water until smooth. Add the lemon juice (it will stiffen a little) and continue to whisk until smooth again. Whisk in the salt, crushed garlic, and honey. Taste and add more salt/lemon/honey to balance if needed

    9. Serve: Slice the chicken. Spread the romesco on a plate and top with the charred broccoli and lentils. Add the sliced chicken breast, then drizzle over the tahini sauce.