Bill Granger - Easy - 100 delicious dishes for every day

Easy does it

I always imagined life was going to slow down and get easier – once the children were out of nappies; once the business was up and running. But it seems to speed up every day, doesn’t it. Perhaps by now I should be into my Elizabeth David phase, writing recipes that need a free weekend to hunt down and roast a wild boar? But, instead of even growing my own vegetables, I still find myself with barely enough time to race around the supermarket and buy them. It’s all too easy to forget – in this fast-paced wind tunnel of life – that true happiness comes with relationships, and relationships thrive on good food. As my mum likes to say, ‘Life’s too short to stuff a mushroom.’ So invite your friends over and cook them something delicious, but EASY.

Piece of chicken

Chicken is the great traveller, the easy-going backpacker of the food world, who happily joins in with every culture and is keen to make friends with every flavour she meets: from Thai lemongrass to French thyme, Mexican chipotles to Tunisian harissa. In just one generation chicken has become our favourite go-to meat for almost every meal (certainly in my house, anyway). For my father’s generation, roast chook was served with great fanfare for Christmas lunch; this week, I’ll probably stir-fry, pan-fry, curry, roast, poach or toss it into a salad two or three times to feed the family.

Piece of chicken

Chilli Chicken + Skordalia

Roast Chicken Salad + Chive Mayonnaise

Paprika and Coriander Roasted Chicken

Light Butter Chicken

Spiced Chicken Wraps + Mango Chutney

Chicken Paillard with Spring Onions and Prosciutto

Moroccan Chicken Pies

CHILLI CHICKEN + SKORDALIA

OK, you’ve spotted it: this is really chicken and mash – but I make no apologies for my double-chilli chicken with garlicky skordalia.

1 red chilli, halved and sliced

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tablespoons olive oil

1.5kg chicken legs

handful pea shoots or watercress

lemon wedges

Place the fresh chilli, chilli flakes, garlic and oil in a bowl and mix to combine. Cut deep slashes in the chicken pieces and rub the marinade over the skin and into the slashes. Place in an ovenproof tray or tin, cover with cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Roast the chicken for 45–50 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place to rest for 10–15 minutes. Serve with the skordalia, pea shoots and lemon wedges. SERVES 4

SKORDALIA

1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

160ml soured cream

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the water off the potatoes and return to the stove over low heat for a minute to remove any excess water. Remove from the stove and mash thoroughly, then add the olive oil, garlic and soured cream. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and beat until smooth.

ROAST CHICKEN SALAD + CHIVE MAYONNAISE

Making your own mayo always tends to impress people, even though it only takes two minutes and a blender. You can liven up shop-bought whole egg mayo with a little lemon juice and sea salt.

1kg boneless chicken thighs, skin on

1 lemon, halved

½ ciabatta, torn into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 eggs

1 small iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges

handful celery leaves

3 celery sticks, cut into 5cm-long batons

finely chopped chives, to serve

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Place the chicken on an oven tray lined with baking paper, squeeze lemon juice over the top and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 35–45 minutes or until the skin is golden. About 10 minutes before the chicken should be ready, toss the bread in the oil in a bowl, season well and then add the bread to the baking tray.

Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over high heat. Add the eggs, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 6 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice into thick rounds.

Take the tray from the oven. Remove the bread and set the chicken aside to rest in a warm place for 5–10 minutes. Slice the chicken and toss with the bread, lettuce, celery leaves and batons. Divide into serving bowls and dress with the soft-boiled eggs and chive mayonnaise. Sprinkle with chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper. SERVES 4–6

CHIVE MAYONNAISE

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

250ml light-flavoured oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Use a blender to blend the egg yolks, a pinch of sea salt and lemon juice until well combined. With the motor running, slowly add the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is thick and creamy. If you find your mayonnaise splits or curdles, the addition of a little boiling water can bring it together. Stir through the chives just before serving.

PAPRIKA AND CORIANDER ROASTED CHICKEN

This roast chicken comes out of the oven in a sea of wonderful vibrant juices. Mop them up with bread or rice.

1.5kg chicken legs

2 lemons, 1 cut into 8 wedges and 1 juiced