Supreme of Chicken with Spinach & Parmesan, Basil Pesto, Barley Risotto & Harissa

Butter – 60 grams

Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Garlic peeled and crushed – 2 cloves

Leek (white part only) finely chopped – ½

Spinach, stalks removed – 100 grams

Rocket – 100 grams

Bunch chives chopped – 1 small

Head frisée lettuce roughly chopped – ¼

Parmesan grated – 80 grams

Egg yolk – 1

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

aubergine sliced into 4 equal rounds – ½

Red onion peeled and quartered – 1

Supremes of chicken, skin on – 4

Basil pesto risotto recipe

Harissa recipe

Garnishes

Aubergine puree recipe – ½

Aubergine chips

Confit of garlic

Dill oil – 40 ml

Tomato oil – 60 ml

Thyme – 4 sprigs

Flat leaf parsley – 12 sprigs

Citrus confit

Harissa

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/400F/gas mark 6. Start with the stuffing. Heat half the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook the garlic for approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add the leek and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the spinach, rocket, lettuce and chives.
3. Mix well and cool before adding the Parmesan and egg yolk. Season well and cook fully.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the aubergine and onion on all sides. Season well and transfer to a baking tray.
5. Finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle the aubergines with more olive oil if they start to dry out.
6. Make a horizontal slit in each chicken supreme and season well. Insert stuffing into each slit but do not overstuff – the stuffing should not spill out of the incision.
7. Heat the remaining butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan.
8. Cook the chicken over a high heat, skin side down, for approximately 3-4 minutes. Transfer to the oven and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes.

Harissa

1. Soak the chillies in water for an hour, just enough water to cover.
2. Remove them from the water and dry well. Reserve some of this ‘chilli water’.
3. Using a food processor, blend the chillies and all the other ingredients except the oil with a tablespoon of the chilli water to make a chunky paste.
4. Add the oil slowly until you have a thick jam-like consistency.
5. Try not to over-process, as the harissa looks like with a little texture. Check the seasoning and keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.
6. Harissa can be kept for up to a week.

Wine suggestion with Harissa

 This is a rich, user-friendly dish calling for a big layered red from Southern France, Italy or Spain. Some superb examples are coming out of Bandol in Provence, from Gigondas and Cornas in the Rhone, and in tempranillo varietals from Spain. A good Brunello from Italy should do well. Blends from grenache, with Mourvèdre, for example, will also work. Among whites, New World Chardonnay from Chile or South Africa should be fine.

To serve

1. Heat the risotto.
2. Arrange some harissa around each plate and pile some risotto in the center of each dish.
3. Place a grilled aubergine slice on top of the risotto and lay a chicken supreme on top.
4. Place a tablespoon of aubergine puree on top of the chicken. Stick some aubergine chips into the harissa and puree. Arrange some garlic confit around the harissa.
5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of each dill oil and tomato oil around the dish.
6. Garnish with sprigs of thyme, flat leaf and lemon confit.
7. The recipe serves 4 people.