CHICKEN, PANCETTA & PEACH PANZANELLA
a weeknight roast chicken salad.
Hello folks,
I’m writing to you this week from Split in Croatia! I’m very lucky to be away on holiday and I shot this little weeknight number in the limbo three days between Glastonbury and heading out on this trip, it feels like a distant memory as I usually shoot these the week they go out!
Today’s recipe is a delicious, super simple salad that packs a serious punch and will keep you smiling through midweek. Crispy roasted chicken thighs, schmaltzy croutons, salty pancetta all wrapped up in a tomato and peach salad. There’s a couple of little tips and tricks in there too of course!
I hope you enjoy it,
B x
WEEKNIGHT COOKING
I spent 2 years working at mob full time and during that 2 years, spent an awful lot of time thinking about what weeknight cooking is. I would argue that about 75% of the recipes that I write, think about, eat and cook are absolutely unsuitable for the weeknight cook, myself included. I’m trying to get back into the groove of thining about weeknight cooking because it’s honestly much harder than you think to write a really great, really simple midweek recipe. It’s a real skill to be able to write really tasty, efficient, low-stress recipes that people will actually cook! With that in mind, I’m going to shoot to make one in every three How I Cook issues really midweek friendly. Sure we all love cherry and custard pie, it’s a joy to read about, make and eat, but it’s not helpful after work on a wednesday night, is it?
CHICKEN THIGHS
Name a better cut of chicken… I’ll wait…
These really are a workhorse in the kitchen and work wonders in the week for a couple of reasons. First off, they’re damn near impossible to overcook. You can lob these in the oven for anywhere between 30-60 minutes and they’ll come out tasting delicious. This gives you flexibility to do your thing on that weeknight, go for a run, grab a shower, do your laundry, sit on your ass and doom scroll, whatever you’re into.
Second, they’re absolutely packed full of flavour and texture. A chicken breast is made up of one muscle (two if you count the tender) and whilst delicious are pretty one dimensional. A chicken thigh on the other hand, is a delightful blend of muscle, intramuscular fat and of course, crispy skin. This gives you a huge amount of textural variety and when you can just chuck it in the oven and walk away, this is a really easy win. In the week, choose chicken thighs.
TOMATOES & PEACHES
Tomatoes and stone fruits are a fantastic pairing. There’s not a huge amount to say on the matter really, other than they’re more similar than you think. A good tomato has a natural sweetness and a good amount of acidity, making them a very well balanced standalone thing to eat. With just a little salt and oil, a tomato will sing. This can’t be said for something like a knob of butter, right? A peach is really similar, an amazing peach has such a thwack of sweetness but also a touch of lip-puckering tartness that keeps you coming back for more and more. Peaches work wonders in the savoury kitchen and a salad is a really great intro if you’re new to eating them outside of a cobbler or fruit salad.
TIME
Your best mate with this recipe is time. Giving the tomatoes, peaches and cucumber a good half hour with the salt, olive oil and vinegar will draw out heaps of their natural juice. This is what will give your little chicken fat croutons even more life and make up the irresistible dressing this salad is all about. Time everyone, give them time.
FLAVOUR BOMBS
There are always a few bangers you should have tucked away in the cupboard at any one time, little jarred ingredients that’ll elevate your cooking by just showing up. These are of paramount importance to good weeknight cooking. Think capers, anchovies, olives, miso, harissa, gochujang, pickled ginger, nuts, seeds, spice blends. Again, it’s all about those easy wins!!
Today we’re using capers to bring a briny vibe to the salad, if everything’s super fresh it can be a bit same same, you want something preserved to bring some grown up savoury edge to the party.
CHICKEN, PANCETTA & PEACH PANZANELLA