2 Courses Recipe
Make 2 Courses Recipe in just 50m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Starter — Pea & Mint Soup
Main — Pan-seared Chicken with Lemon-Caper Sauce, Buttered New Potatoes & Garlicky Green Beans
Method
Starter — Pea & Mint Soup
- 1
Prepare aromatics
Heat 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and 1 minced garlic clove and sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened and translucent but not browned.
- 2
- 3
Blend and finish
Remove the pan from the heat. Add 0.5 cup packed fresh mint leaves and 1 tbs fresh lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth (or carefully transfer to a blender in batches). Season with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper, then taste and adjust seasoning or lemon as desired.
- 4
Serve
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Dollop 2 tbs crème fraîche or plain yogurt into the center of each bowl and garnish with extra mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Main — Pan-seared Chicken with Lemon-Caper Sauce, Buttered New Potatoes & Garlicky Green Beans
- 5
Preheat and prep potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Toss 500 g halved new potatoes with 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary and 0.5 tsp salt. Spread potatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, until tender and golden. Shake the pan once halfway through cooking for even browning.
- 6
Start chicken
While the potatoes roast, pat 2 chicken breasts dry and season both sides with 1.25 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and sear without moving for 4–5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Turn and reduce heat to medium, add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pan and cook for another 4–5 minutes, spooning butter over the chicken, until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) or juices run clear. Remove chicken to a plate and rest loosely covered.
- 7
Make lemon-caper sauce
Keeping the skillet on medium heat, add 100 ml chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Add 2 tbs capers, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in 1 tbs unsalted butter to finish the sauce and swirl to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning; if sauce is too sharp, add a small pinch of sugar or an extra 0.5 tbs butter.
- 8
Cook green beans
While finishing the sauce, blanch 200 g trimmed green beans in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain and immediately shock in ice water for 30–60 seconds to stop cooking, then drain again. In a small sautée pan, heat 1 tbs butter over medium heat, add the blanched green beans and the reserved 0.25 tsp black pepper, sauté for 1–2 minutes with a little lemon zest (optional) to warm through and coat with butter. Finish with a pinch of salt if needed.
- 9
- 10
Plate and serve
Slice the rested chicken breasts on the bias. Spoon the lemon-caper sauce over the slices or pool sauce on the plate and place chicken on top. Arrange buttered new potatoes and garlicky green beans alongside. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves and 0.5 tsp lemon zest if using. Serve immediately.
