March 2006 - Pan-fried Chicken on Lentils with Pesto

Delicious magazine seems to like a purple/mauve/lilac cover. The colour is peppered throughout the back issues. It is unusual for two issues in a row to have the same coloured background and slightly confusing to be honest. I was forever picking up the wrong one. Although the lovely pots of Lime and Ginger Creme Brulee did differentiate this one.

It was one of the recipes that I considered making but as I said before, there is a dessert recipe that just had to be made later on in the month. Plus I do not have a blow torch for caramelising the sugar on top. I know that it can be done under a grill but I do not think that it is a good done that way as it is with a torch.

On my menu list for this month I had Bill Granger's Chicken & Kumara Curry. It sounds really good, full of chilli, lemongrass and (light) coconut milk. There is also a recipe for coconut rice to go with it. I was going to make it when I had visitors coming but decided to do something else with the chicken thighs for them. I was then going to make this for myself on the weekend but I only had one package of chicken thigh fillets in the freezer so it will have to wait until after pay day now.

So I ended up having to look for something else to make. I had a chicken breast in the freezer so I decided to make Pan-fried Chicken on Lentils with Pesto by Kate Tait. I am not really sure about this dish. The breast fillet that I had was skinless rather than with skin as the recipe called for so I wrapped the breast in some prosciutto slices that I had in the fridge. The lentils were nice but a bit bland for my liking. I think the addition of some chilli or garlic would have helped. I had some sundried tomato pesto so used that instead of the basil pesto, perhaps that would have added to it. I did enjoy it but I do not think that it is something I would make again.

Pan-fried Chicken on Lentils with Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup Puy-style whole green lentils
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 free-range chicken breast fillets with skin
• 4 large eschalots, thinly sliced(I used a red onion)
  
• 2 roasted red capsicums* (about 170g each), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup good-quality basil pesto

Method:

• Cook lentils in a pan of boiling water then rinse and drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frypan over medium heat and cook chicken, skin-side down for a few minutes and then turn and cook on the other side until cooked through. The set aside to rest.
  
• Heat the remaining oil in a frypan, add eschalots and cook until softened but not coloured. Add lentils and capsicum and warm through. Remove pan from heat and stir in parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the lentil mixture among serving plates. Top with chicken and pesto.