Chicken with Leeks and Cannellini Beans, with Orange, Cumin and Butter Roasted Carrots

There's chicken there...its just hiding under beans

A bit of an experiment this one. Turned out to be a great little dish. The carrots are a Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall  (a.k.a. master of all that is good and tasty in the universe) recipe.

I think I need some help with my HFW addiction...SRSLY.

Chicken with Leeks and Cannellini Beans, with Orange, Cumin and Butter Roasted Carrots

Serves 2 (although in the real world probably 3, because one of the two has a superhuman appetite. Naming no names. But it isn’t me.)

For the Chicken:

4 skinless chicken thigh fillets (I reckon they’re much nicer than chicken breasts – but breasts would work here too)

2 x tins of cannellini beans

A medium sized leek

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

A bay leaf

Chicken stock

S + P

For the carrots:

As many carrots as you want

Couple of pinches of cumin

Zest of half an orange

Juice of half an orange

1 tbsp butter

S + P

To serve:

Basmati rice

Stick the oven on at 180ºC to heat up.

Top and tail the carrots, peeling them if they need it, and cut up into similarly sized pieces. Melt the butter in a casserole pan (one with a lid) and add the carrots, cumin, orange juice and zest, and seasoning. Put the lid on and stick in the oven for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, chop up your chicken, leeks and garlic, then sauté together for about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, seasoning, beans and stock and simmer.

After 30 mins, take the carrots out the oven, give them a stir, and stick back in the oven, this time with the lid off the pan.

Put on some rice to cook.

By the time your rice is done, the chicken stock should have reduced to a thick sauce for your chicken, leek and bean mixture, and the carrots should be all caramelised and lovely.

Pour the chicken, leek and beans over your rice, load up on carrots and eat in front of the tv, feeling smug at your cooking skillz.