Creamy, Spicy Chicken and Bacon with Seasoned Cauliflower Rice
“I have pimped simple chicken thighs here by serving them with a creamy, spicy sauce that features bacon lardons and spiced cabanossi. All this indulgence deserves to be mopped up so I serve it over a seasoned cauliflower ‘rice’ that does that job perfectly!” – Monya
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-assisted) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into large florets (including the stalk) and place them into a food processor. Blitz until it resembles rice or breadcrumbs and set aside.
Step 2
Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground paprika. Place on the tray, skin side-up and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make the cooked onion garlic mix which you will need in both the saucy chicken mix and the seasoned cauliflower rice. Melt half of the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until softened, approx. 8-9 minutes. Add the ground paprika and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer half this onion mixture to a second, large non-stick pan. Keep this second pan aside for now, we will come back to it later.
Step 4
Add the bacon lardons, chopped Cabanossi and cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like things too spicy) to the first pan containing half the onion mix and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir regularly to cook the bacon through, then add the chicken stock and baby spinach. Increase the heat to medium high, leaving the mixture to cook as the spinach wilts and the stock reduces. After about 4 minutes, pour in the double cream and soured cream* and reduce the heat to medium low, leaving this mixture to reduce to a thick and saucy mixture.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the seasoned cauliflower rice by turning your attention to the second pan with the second reserved batch of cooked onion-garlic mix. Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the remaining cayenne pepper over medium high heat. Once the butter is foaming, tip in the cauliflower rice and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly to sufficiently cook the raw ‘cauli’ flavour out. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is cooked, pour all the tray roasting juices into the cauliflower.
Step 6
Serve the cooked chicken and saucy bacon mixture with the seasoned cauliflower rice – and don’t forget to scatter freshly chopped parsley over the whole lot!
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
450g Cauliflower, leaves discarded and florets blitzed into ‘rice’ 1x Sainsbury's Cauliflower -
3tbsp Unsalted Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
1 Onion, finely chopped 1x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed with a garlic press 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
4 Chicken Thighs, skin-on, bone-in 1x Sainsbury's British Fresh Chicken Skin on Thighs 1kg -
100g Smoked Bacon Lardons 1x Sainsbury's Inspired to Cook Italian Beechwood Smoked Diced Pancetta 200g -
2tsp Cayenne Pepper 1x Sainsbury's Cayenne Pepper 42g -
200ml Warm Chicken Stock 1x Kallo Very Low Salt Chicken Stock Cubes 6x8g -
100g Baby Spinach Leaves 1x Sainsbury's Baby Leaf Spinach 100g -
0.5tsp Cayenne Pepper 1x Sainsbury's Cayenne Pepper 42g
-
100g Kabanos, chopped smaller 1x Tarczynski Mild & Smoky Kabanos 105g -
10g Fresh Parsley, finely chopped to garnish 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Packed Flat Leaf Parsley 30g -
100ml Double Cream 1x Sainsbury's British Double Cream 150ml -
65ml Soured Cream 1x Sainsbury's Fresh Soured Cream 150ml -
1tsp Ground Paprika, plus extra pinch for the chicken 1x Sainsbury's Paprika 44g -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g