I recently really enjoyed this meal inspired by a Gousto recipe, but adding to it slightly to taste. This recipe is fairly healthy, and really easy to make. I hope that you give it a go and enjoy!

Recipe for 2 people. Cooking time approx. 30 minutes.

Ingredients;

• 4 chicken thigh fillets
• 2 garlic cloves
• Honey (25g)
• 1 fresh lemongrass
• 1 red chilli
• 2 shallots
• Pack of mangetout
• 130g basmati rice
• 1 hoisin sauce sachet (40g)
• 15ml rice vinegar
• Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Tsp chilli flakes
• 10g cornflour

Method;

1. Boil a kettle. Bash the lemongrass with a rolling pin and cut the stem down the middle lengthways. Remove the tough outer layers (keep them for later!) and chop the softer inner core finely.
2. Add the basmati rice, 300ml cold water and the outer lemongrass layers to a pot and bring it to a boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving.
3. While the rice is cooking, pat the chicken thigh fillets dry with kitchen paper and slice them into strips. Add the chicken strips to a bowl with the cornflour and 1-2 tsp pepper (freshly ground is best!) and the chilli flakes, then toss to coat them evenly – this is your pepper chicken.
4. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil (with enough to coat the base of the pan) over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pepper chicken and cook for 5-7 min or until crispy and golden and cooked through (no pink meat!). Transfer the cooked chicken to kitchen paper, season with salt and set aside until serving – this is your crispy pepper chicken. Wipe the pan clean and reserve it for later.
5. Cut the red chilli in half lengthways, de-seed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely. Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Peel and slice the shallots finely.
6. Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Add the chopped lemongrass inner stem[s], garlic, shallot and chilli (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 2-4 min or until starting to crisp, then add the mangetout and cook for a further 2-3 min.
7. Combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and honey in a bowl. Add the hoisin mixture to the pan and mix with the ingredients. Cook for 1-2 min or until sticky.
8. Add the crispy chicken back to the pan to warm through and to coat with the sauce, then serve with rice and sprinkle over any leftover hoisin sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

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Happy munching 🙂

Jen

@jensfoodblog

#jensfoodblog

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