Today I tossed up lemon parsley smoked paprika chicken. I got the smoked paprika from my favourite food chain in London, Waitrose. My friend’s mother lives in Bayswater in a flat just above a Waitrose store. Aunty Krishna is sweet and interesting. At mid eighty she remains spirited and keeps a quaint little flat. Cheerful flower baskets dress her window. An aged but not worn out throw on her couch adds to the elegant decor. Vintage coffee mugs brighten up her open kitchen. Carefully chosen art gifted by her son in law hang along with a few family pictures on her walls each narrating a memory. A tall umbrella which doubles up as her walking stick stands where it is supposed to stand as eager to step out once in a while as she is.
I really like aunty. I suspect she likes me too. After we were treated to a sumptuous breakfast and coffee, she called my husband into the kitchen and made him stand on a stool to reach up to a shelf. Out came a breathtaking gold gilded fruit bowl with matching ashtrays. She said she wanted me to have it, her shopping from her first ever trip to the Selfridges. It is today one of my prized possessions.
This recipe I dedicate to aunty. While picked up the smoked paprika used in the recipe I learnt that Waitrose serves Aunty a free coffee every day. This little gesture made me fall in the love with them even more.
My food word for this recipe would be British.
When you go out shopping look for;
Breast pieces of chicken on the bone, eight pieces
Smoked paprika
Lemon, one
French beans, a handful
Sweet potato, one big one
Corn flour
Milk
Chicken stock
Fresh parsley
The recipe would be;
To the chicken apply salt, coarse home ground pepper and smoked paprika. I gently massaged the chicken with these three spices and set it aside for a good one hour. In the meantime please par boil ten odd sweet potato chunks with a dash of salt. Leave the dark pink skin on the chunks.
In a glass of about hundred ml milk dissolve a tsp of corn flour.
In another glass, take hundred ml of chicken stock.
Now it is time to cook. Take a non stick wok and brush some olive oil. Pan grill the chicken till golden on both sides. While doing this flavor the chicken by throwing in two sprigs of parsley. Take out the pieces and place the potatoes in the same wok. Grill on all sides for a minute each and add the milk and the stock. Keep your flame at low-medium heat. Now toss in about ten odd French beans snipped at their two ends. In another two mins, slowly place the chicken pieces into the wok. Add the zest of one lemon and slice the same lime to add to the gravy. Now you will need to add salt to taste. Cover the wok and allow the broth to simmer. In five minutes, please check if a cooking needle sears through the chicken easily.
Serve with brown rice. Or with breads.
