Name: Thai roast chicken with mango & apple salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 shallots halved; 2 small red chillies deseeded, half roughly chopped and half finely chopped; zest and juice 1 lime; thumb-length piece of fresh root ginger finely grated; 2 tsp sunflower oil; 2 chicken breasts skin on; 1 red-skinned apple cut into matchsticks; ½ mango peeled and cut into matchsticks; ½ small bunch mint leaves picked; 3 spring onions sliced; small bunch coriander leaves picked; ½ tsp fish sauce plus a splash; ¼ tsp caster sugar

Thai roast chicken with mango & apple salad

For the chicken

3 shallots
halved
2 small red chillies
deseeded, half roughly chopped and half finely chopped
zest and juice 1 lime
thumb-length piece of fresh root ginger
finely grated
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 chicken breasts
skin on

For the salad

1 red-skinned apple
cut into matchsticks
½ mango
peeled and cut into matchsticks
½ small bunch mint
leaves picked
3 spring onions
sliced
small bunch coriander
leaves picked
½ tsp fish sauce
plus a splash
¼ tsp caster sugar

Method

step 1
Whizz the shallots in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the roughly chopped chilli, ¾ of the ginger and all the lime zest, then whizz to a chunky paste. Tip into a frying pan with 1 tsp oil and some seasoning, then fry for a couple of mins until fragrant.
step 2
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Release the skin from the chicken breasts along one side, and stuff with spicy shallot stuffing. Can be done up to a day ahead. Season the skin, then roast in a roasting tin for 15-20 mins until golden, crisp and cooked through. Meanwhile, make the rice (see right).
step 3
Toss together the apple, mango, mint, spring onions and half the coriander. Mix the fish sauce, caster sugar, remaining ginger and lime juice, then set aside.
step 4
When the chicken is ready, remove it to a plate to rest. Sit the roasting tin on the hob. Spoon off any excess fat, then gently heat, adding the remaining lime juice and a splash more fish sauce, scraping up the chicken juices to make a sauce. Chop the remaining coriander, then stir into the sauce with the finely chopped chilli. Toss the salad with the dressing, then serve with the chicken, sauce and sticky rice.