Chicken and Cannellini Beans

While I get on with clearing the backlog, here’s a quick and easy dish you can throw together in no time. I cooked this on Monday night while waiting for something from the freezer to heat up. It went into the fridge overnight and just needed heating up the next day. You could eat it the same day but the flavour is better if left overnight. Some chorizo would have been really good in here but I didn’t have any so just increased the paprika, Not quite the same but close enough in an emergency.

Chicken and Cannellini Beans
Serves Two

250g cannellini beans
4 chicken thighs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Parsley stalks, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Sprig thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tsps paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
Large glass white wine
250ml chicken stock
Tin chopped tomatoes

If you’re using dried beans then start these straight away and cook according to the instructions on the packet. These will take much longer to cook than the rest of the dish so if you don’t have any already cooked but don’t want to use tinned beans then you can just add these to the finished dish – either after the final 30 minutes cooking time or when you reheat it the next day.

Start by browning the seasoned chicken thighs in olive oil and then removing to a plate. Blot with kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

Using the same pan, soften the onions, some parsley stalks and the pepper for about eight minutes. Then add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves and cook for another two minutes. Next add the paprika and stir to incorporate.

Add a good squeeze of tomato puree and stir again so that everything is coated. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding the wine. Let this bubble away until the alcohol has cooked out and then return the chicken to the pan along with the chicken stock, tomatoes and cooked beans.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the parsley through before serving.