Butterflied Griddled Herb Chicken

Fresh, tasty and quicker than any ready-meal: butterfl y your bird for even cooking and griddle it for a BBQ effect all-year-round.

Prep

  1. Butterfly the chicken: first, take a look at the bottom of the chicken breasts. If they have tenders attached (mini-fillets) slice them off to cook separately.
  2. Sit the breasts on a board, smooth sides up. Using a sharp chef ’s knife held parallel to the board, slice cleanly sideways through the centres of each one but NOT all the way through. Leave a hinge. Open each breast out into one thinner piece like a book.
  3. Lay the first butterfly between two pieces of cling film. Flatten it some more by hitting it with the flat of your hand or by rolling and bashing it with a rolling pin. Take care not to rip it. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the second piece. Add any tenders.
  4. Make the marinade: Mix the oil, herbs, garlic, pepper, lemon zest and half of the juice in a bowl. Tip it over the chicken and rub in. Set aside. Blanch the beans in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes or till al dente (bite one to test).
  5. Tip them into a colander held under running cold water for 30 seconds to fi x the colour and texture. Set aside to drain.

Cook

  1. Heat a griddle pan till almost smoking hot. Slap the butterflies down. Leave them to cook for 2 minutes, pressing down a bit with your spatula, until golden brown. Flip. Repeat for 2 minutes or until cooked (test with a knife: the flesh should be white, not pink). Remove to a plate.
  2. Sprinkle with salt and remaining lemon juice. Griddle the bread on the pan till crisp and marked each side. Finish the beans: heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the diced garlic and cook for a few seconds but don’t brown it up. Add the beans, turning, and cook for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes, turning, and cook for a further minute until warmed through.

Plate

  1. Pile the beans and tomato artistically onto your plates. Sit the butterfly at a jaunty angle. Add a dollop of hummus and hot bread. Sit on the sofa and enjoy.

BONUS BITES

HERBED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Chop the non-butterflied meat into bite-sized chunks. Add your marinade. Th read onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. Cook under a hot grill, turning, till white all through and still juicy. Eat on rice or in warmed pittas with salad.

CHICKEN FAJITAS

Th in meat as above before cutting into long thin strips. Add 2 tsp paprika, 1 crushed garlic clove and a squeeze of lemon. Pan-fry quickly before banging into warmed tortillas with guacamole, grated cheddar, sliced red onion and shredded iceberg lettuce.

Useful Cooking Information

Weight

Metric Imperial
10 g½ oz
20 g¾ oz
25 g1 oz
50 g2 oz
75 g3 oz
110 g4 oz
150 g5 oz
175 g6 oz
200 g7 oz
225 g8 oz
250 g9 oz
275 g10 oz
350 g12 oz
450 g1 lb
500 g (½ kg)18 oz
700 g1½ lb
900 g2 lb
1 kg2¼ lb
1.3 kg3 lb
1.8 kg4 lb
2.2 kg5 lb

Volume

Metric Imperial
50 ml2 fl oz
75 ml3 fl oz
100 ml3½ fl oz
125 ml4 fl oz
150 ml5 fl oz¼ pint
200 ml7 fl oz
250 ml9 fl oz
300 ml10 fl oz½ pint
425 ml15 fl oz¾ pint
600 ml20 fl oz1 pint
800 ml1½ pint
1 l1¾ pints
1.2 l2 pints
1.5 l2½ pints
1.8 l3 pints
2 l3½ pints

Measurements

Metric Imperial
5 mm¼ inch
1 cm½ inch
2 cm¾ inch
2.5 cm1 inch
3 cm1¼ inches
4 cm1½ inches
5 cm2 inches
10 cm3 inches
15 cm4 inches
20.5 cm6 inches
23 cm9 inches
25 cm10 inches
30 cm12 inches

Spoon measures - mean level measures unless the recipe says 'heaped'

Eggs - are always large for baking, unless recipe says otherwise


Oven Temperatures

Gas °F °C
Mark 1275140
2300150
3325170
4350180
5375190
6400200
7425220
8450230
9475240

Fan assisted ovens - remember to reduce temperatures by 20°C

Most Useful US/European Conversions

ButterUS 1 cup / 2 sticks8 oz220 g
SugarUS 1 cup6 oz175 g
FlourUS 1 cup4 oz110 g
LiquidUS 1 cup8 fl oz225 ml
Prepped OnionsUS 1 cup4 oz110 g
Cheese, GratedUS 1 cup4 oz110 g
Diced FruitUS 1 cup5 oz150 g
Fresh BreadcrumbsUS 1 cup2 oz55 g

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