I have become fascinated by the benefits of ancient varieties of wheat flours, such as spelt and khorasan, which are much gentler on the digestive system than modern, high-yield varieties – meaning they’re much more suited to those with gluten intolerances. Slow-rise loaves such as sourdoughs are similarly easier to digest, because the wheat structures have time to break down in the rising process.
For me, it makes sense to spend a bit more on a loaf knowing that it’s both nutritious and easier to digest. Bruschettas, croutons and crumbs made from a good loaf add body and substance to all sorts of dishes, today’s chicken being a case in point: the croutons soak up the cooking juices while they turn golden and crisp in the oven. The pudding is a sharp, vibrant contrast, alive with citrus and warming spices. It can be made in advance, so is a handy one to have up your sleeve.
Roast chicken with stale bread puttanesca
A mouthwatering dish, fragrant with fresh basil. You could even leave out the chicken altogether, and toss the roast veg with buckwheat or wholewheat couscous for a delicious veggie lunch. Serves four to six.
1.5kg chicken, at room temperature
4 garlic cloves
6 anchovies
20g butter, softened
600g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
1 red chilli, deseeded and thickly sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and thickly sliced
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
75g pitted black olives
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g stale rye sourdough (or any good-quality loaf), torn into 6cm pieces
1 large bunch basil leaves
Parmesan, to serve (optional)
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the chicken, untrussed, in a roasting tin. Peel one of the garlic cloves, put it in a mortar with half the anchovies and the butter, and pound to a paste. Carefully loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and rub the garlic/anchovy butter over the chicken flesh.
Tip the tomatoes, chilli, pepper, onions, olives and remaining garlic and anchovies around the chicken in the tin, drizzle the oil over the lot and season generously. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and cook for 45 minutes more. After 30 minutes, toss the bread through the veg and juices, and baste the chicken, too.
After an hour of cooking, check the chicken is done by piercing the thick part of the thigh with a skewer: if the juices run clear, it’s done (if not, give it five minutes more and check again). Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a carving board, tipping it so the juices inside run back into the tray. Cover the chicken loosely with foil, and leave to rest for five to 10 minutes; cover the roasting tin with foil, too.
Carve the bird, and dish up on to warm plates. Toss the basil through the sauce in the tin and spoon over the chicken; I like it with lots of grated parmesan on top as well.
Pineapple in star anise syrup and toasted coconut
This elicits gasps of excitement from my friends: the lime cuts through the sweetness of the exotically spiced syrup, making it a fab sauce for vanilla ice-cream. Serves four to six.
100g unsweetened coconut shavings
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp agave syrup
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthways and cored
Good-quality vanilla ice-cream
For the spiced syrup
200g caster sugar
200ml water
2 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
3 cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds
The juice of 2 limes
1 fresh red chilli, finely diced
Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Mix the coconut, soft brown sugar, agave syrup and oil in a bowl, until the coconut is well coated, then season with a few pinches of salt. Spread out on an oven tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp, stirring halfway through.
For the syrup, put the sugar and 50ml water in a small pan with the spices and heat gently until the sugar has melted, giving it a stir to help it along. Turn up the heat and, without stirring (swirl the pan to disperse the mix, if need be), simmer briskly until it starts to darken – you want the sugar to turn a deep nutty brown, but not to burn. The moment you think it is dark enough, remove from the heat and, standing back because the sugar will bubble and spit, pour in the rest of the water and the lime juice. (The cold liquids will stop the sugar cooking any further.) Put back on a low heat, and gently stir in the chilli until any crystallised sugar dissolves back into the syrup.
Cut each pineapple quarter into thin slices and arrange in a serving bowl. Pour over half the syrup (keep the rest to have another time with ice-cream), cover with cling-film and refrigerate until you are ready to eat. You can make it to this stage up to eight hours in advance.
To serve, put a scoop or two of vanilla ice-cream in individual bowls, spoon over some of the pineapple and its syrup, and top with the caramelised coconut.
And for the rest of the week…
The leftover chicken is delicious in sandwiches; and if you’ve roasted just the vegetables, bash any leftovers into a rough romesco sauce to eat with the last of the sprouting broccoli or the first of the season’s asparagus. You will have plenty of caramelised coconut left over: it will add a hint of toasty sweetness to your morning muesli or porridge, or scatter some over a bowl of yoghurt and fruit puree. There will also be leftover syrup: it will keep for weeks in the fridge, and makes a wonderful marinade for fruit, from watermelon and slices of orange, to mango when it comes into season.
