My most typed Google inquiry? Roast chicken recipes. As irresistible as a golden-hued, crisp-skinned roast chicken is, I often feel like I should occasionally break away from its perfect clutches. The recipe opposite is the one I go to. Its three types of chilli heat conspire to create a warmth that tingles rather than blows your head off and makes a rich, chickeny, spicy shallot sauce. And it gifts you the most brilliant leftovers as the meat is already infused with so much character.
When I’ve had a long week and can’t think what to cook, I find leftover chicken waiting in the fridge is what saves me. I’ll buy the biggest bird I can find, and always the highest possible quality I can afford. I’ll roast it at the weekend (ideally having bathed it in a 5% brine with a few herbs such as thyme or rosemary for at least 24 hours beforehand), share it with friends if I have to, then use its leftovers throughout the week in different ways. A curry is mandatory, as is a fresh, punchy, crunchy, herby salad. And as I get to the end of the bounty, I’ll make a sandwich. It feels a bit too obvious to cover it in mayo, so I often make a shawarma-style pitta as I always have the store-cupboard ingredients to hand.
A note on storing leftovers
I always try to keep the cooked chicken as intact as possible to stop it drying out. Leave it on the carcass, or if you want to make stock immediately, take it off in big chunks before placing it in a storage container and pouring over any remaining gravy. I find the gravy is then great to add to whatever I make during the week to add some chickeny oomph.
Chicken alla diavola
If you want to retire your reliable roast recipe for a bit, this should be its stand in.
For full-on devil chicken, I’d recommend using a couple of scotch bonnets as your red chilli or substitute the pul biber for regular dried chilli flakes.
I like to eat this with slightly more low-key sides to let the chicken take the starring role. Both of them can be made in advance and reheated. The parmesan mash is particularly fun as it uses the starchy cooking water to enrich the potatoes instead of cream or milk. If you don’t fancy mash, this is also great with cooked white beans; just distribute around the chicken when you remove the lid.
Use the chicken cooking time as a guide – the truth is that for perfectly cooked chicken a meat thermometer is essential, as all our ovens are different. Start with 40 minutes with the lid on, then take its temperature every 10 minutes until you get to 72-75C.
Serves 4
black peppercorns 3 tsp
bay leaves 2
mild red chilli 1, roughly chopped
garlic 6 cloves
pul biber (aleppo pepper) 2 tsp, or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
olive oil 4 tbsp
tomato puree 2 tbsp
banana shallots 3, peeled and finely sliced
thyme 4 sprigs
best possible quality chicken 1.8-2kg, at room temperature
red wine vinegar 75ml
For the parmesan mash
floury potatoes 1kg, peeled and cut into equal chunks (maris piper or king edward work well)
extra virgin olive oil 100ml
parmesan 75g, grated
For the fennel and garlic cavolo nero
cavolo nero or kale 400g, leaves separated from stem
olive oil 4 tbsp
garlic 2 cloves, sliced
fennel seeds 1 tsp
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6.
Crush the peppercorns and 1 bay leaf in a mortar and pestle, then add the chilli, 2 of the garlic cloves and 1 heaped teaspoon of salt, and bash together until you have a rough paste. Stir in the pul biber, 2 tablespoons of the oil and the tomato puree (if you do the oil first the puree will slide beautifully off the spoon).
Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat in your largest casserole dish/dutch oven with a lid (if you don’t have one big enough, use a baking tray and tin foil to roast the chicken). Add the shallots, remaining garlic, remaining bay leaf, the thyme and a big pinch of salt and pepper, and gently fry for 5 minutes while you prepare the chicken.
Slather the chilli paste all over the chicken, going under the skin if you want.
Sit the chicken on top of the cooked shallots and pour around the vinegar. Put a lid on top and place in the oven for 40 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through, then remove the lid, and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until dark on top and the juices run clear when you push a skewer into the thickest part of the leg (or a thermometer reads 72-75C). Remove the chicken from the pan to rest for at least 20 minutes. You should have some delicious spicy, saucy shallots left in the pan; keep warm.
Once you’ve taken the lid off the chicken (after 40 minutes), get on with everything else. To make the parmesan mash, place the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until soft, about 15 minutes, then drain, keeping a cup of cooking water. Return the potatoes to the pan and mash vigorously to your desired texture. Stir in the oil, parmesan and enough cooking water to make a creamy mash – you’ll probably need at least half a cup. Season to taste and keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the cavolo nero or kale for 5-6 minutes until tender, then drain. Dry the pan, and over a medium heat warm the olive oil and add the sliced garlic. Fry gently until it begins to feel sticky, then add the fennel seeds and cook for a further minute to warm them through, then add the drained cavolo nero and stir through until it’s nicely coated. Season well and put to one side until you’re ready to eat. This can be done in advance and quickly warmed up just before serving.
Carve up the chicken and serve it alongside the mash and cavolo with plenty of the reserved spicy shallot sauce.
Goi gà – Vietnamese chicken salad
Make this salad even more delicious by making your own fried shallots. Yes, they’re a bit of a faff (so do just buy them if you fancy), but they’re incredibly moreish and the shallot oil is one of life’s greatest byproducts to use with braised greens, in salads dressing and in your mash.
If you don’t have that much chicken, bulk this out with some cucumber and finely sliced peppers. If you can find Vietnamese coriander and mint, even better.
Serves 4
For the fried shallots
banana shallots 2, peeled
sunflower or vegetable oil 350ml
For the dressing
lime juice of 1, plus extra, to serve
caster sugar 2 tbsp
red chilli ½-1 (depending on taste), deseeded and finely chopped
garlic 1 small clove, finely chopped
fish sauce 2 tbsp
rice wine vinegar 1½ tbsp
For the salad
hispi or white cabbage 1 small head, finely sliced
red onion ½ small, finely sliced
carrots 2, peeled and shredded with a mandoline
coriander 2 handfuls, stem and leaves, roughly chopped
mint leaves 2 handfuls, roughly chopped
salted roasted peanuts 4 handfuls, finely chopped
leftover cooked chicken 200g-250g, roughly shredded
fried shallots 8 tbsp, homemade (see above) or shop-bought, to serve
Make the shallots first. Set yourself up with a sieve over a small bowl and line a large plate with kitchen paper. Using a mandoline (this is essential for even frying), slice the shallots into rounds about 2 credit cards thick. Separate them into individual rings, then place in a small, thick-bottomed pan and pour over enough oil to just cover. Place over high heat and bring to a vigorous simmer, stirring often. After about 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your pan) of simmering, they’ll begin to turn golden and clump a little. As soon as you get to pale golden, pour into the sieve, then transfer to the kitchen paper. Leave to cool – they’ll crisp up as they cool. Be sure to keep the oil.
Make the dressing next. Squeeze the lime into the sugar and stir vigorously until it dissolves, then add the other ingredients. Let it stand while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Combine the salad ingredients, except for the peanuts and shallots, in a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss well and transfer to plates. Sprinkle generously with the peanuts and shallots, and serve with a wedge of lime on the side.
Chicken saag
A super quick, wholesome yet comforting leftovers dish. If you have any cavolo nero remaining from the diavola recipe, this is a great place to use it. Just chuck it into the blender along with the spinach. In fact, feel free to use any cooked or raw greens you have lying about.
If you haven’t got quite enough chicken, bulk this out with leftover boiled potatoes, roast pumpkin or any cooked root veg, such as celeriac. This is also a great way to use up any leftover spicy shallots from the original recipe – just add them in at the end.
Serves 4
frozen spinach 300g, defrosted
olive or rapeseed oil 3 tbsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
bay leaf 1
onions 2 small, chopped
garlic 3 cloves, finely chopped or grated
ginger a thumb, finely chopped or grated
tomatoes 2 medium, roughly chopped
sea salt 1 tsp
turmeric ½ tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder ½-1 tsp, or other mild chilli powder (start with ½ and add more if you like)
garam masala 2 tsp
leftover cooked chicken about 300-400g, roughly shredded
Greek or natural yoghurt 5-6 tbsp
chapatis and basmati rice to serve
Whizz the spinach in a blender with a few splashes of water to make a vibrant puree.
Warm the oil in a large deep pan over medium heat, and toast the cumin seeds and bay leaf for a minute or so before adding the onion and frying until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and once they smell fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, add the tomatoes and 1 heaped teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until they begin to break down.
Lower the heat slightly and add the turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala, followed by the spinach puree. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is hot and has mingled a bit with the spices, then stir in the chicken and yoghurt. Add a few splashes of water to loosen it a bit, then cook for just a few moments until they’re both warmed through, then serve with rice and chapatis.
Chicken shawarma pitta
If you don’t have quite enough chicken for this, trying bulking it out with chickpeas and cucumber. If you can’t find a suitable pitta, feel free to put this between any two pieces of bread, ciabatta would be particularly delicious. This is also another wonderful home for any spicy roasted shallots you might have leftover from the diavola recipe.
Makes 2 pitta
garam masala 1 tsp
turmeric a pinch
ground cumin ¼ tsp
smoked paprika ¼ tsp
tahini 2 tbsp
Greek or natural yoghurt 4 tbsp
lemon juice of ½
leftover cooked chicken 200g-250g
To assemble
cucumber pickle 1, sliced (ideally a sour pickle)
pittas 2 large, to serve
fries to serve
For the salad
shredded hispi or white cabbage 2 handfuls
parsley leaves 2 handfuls
tomato 1 medium, thinly sliced
sumac 1 tsp
olive oil 1 tsp
Combine all the spices in a mixing bowl, then stir in the tahini, yoghurt and lemon juice. Season generously to taste, then fold in the chicken.
In a separate small bowl, make a little salad by combining the shredded cabbage, parsley, tomato, sumac and oil, and then season to taste.
Warm up the pitta bread and stuff it with the spiced chicken, followed by the salad and a few slices of pickle. Serve with a handful of fries. The perfect 5-minute lunch.
Five more suggestions for making the most of a roast chicken
1 Make a chicken and fig pilaf
Sweat a chopped onion with ground cinnamon, allspice, coriander and chopped almonds. Fold in chopped figs and leftover chicken, followed by basmati cooked with cardamom pods. Served with garlic yoghurt, and chopped parsley and mint.
2 A comforting pasta
Bake orzo with chicken stock, lemon zest and wild oregano in the oven. Stir in leftover chicken and finish with spinach, dill, mint, feta and olive oil.
3 Go out with a bang (bang)
Make a dressing with toasted sesame paste, Sichuan pepper, chiu chow chilli sauce, Chinese black vinegar and garlic. Toss with noodles, spring onions, leftover chicken, cucumber, shredded white cabbage and roasted peanuts for a quick bang bang chicken.
4 Try a tortilla
Fry onions, cumin seeds, garlic, tomatoes and black beans with some chipotles in adobo. Stir in some chicken and any leftover gravy. Warm some corn tortillas and eat with cabbage and coriander slaw, a slice of avocado and green apple salsa.
5 The ultimate leftovers laksa
Warm up some laksa paste with coconut milk and fish sauce, and eat with rice noodles or vermicelli, bean sprouts, deep-fried tofu puffs, shredded chicken and fresh coriander.
Georgia Levy is a cookery writer, recipe developer and author of Let’s Do Lunch (Pavilion, £16.99)
