Poached Coconut Chicken Parcels with Greens

I first made this last week for bookclub and it went down a treat. This is a delicious way to cook a chicken breast and it’s hard to over cook when wrapped in the foil parcel. This is a great dish to eat during the week with a ton of greens when you want to be healthy but still want it to be tasty.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the chicken parcels
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 free-range chicken breasts
6 tsp coconut cream
200g butter beans
1 tbsp finely chopped chives

For the greens
100g broccoli spears, blanched/boiled for 5 minutes
200g green beans, blanched/boiled for 5 minutes
100g kale
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2-3 extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of half a lemon
sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and tear off four equal sheets of tin foil each large enough to cover a chicken breast (roughly 15 inch by 15). Lay them out and place one on top so they are doubled up. You need two layers just in case one layer tears while baking. Set a frying pan to a medium to high heat and when hot add the olive oil and then the three spices and sliced garlic. Let this fry for about a minute. Then divide the spice garlic mix between the two tin foil sheets and place a chicken fillet in the centre on each. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and rub the spices over. Divide the butter beans between the fillets and then tightly fold the tin foil ends of each parcel so they are sealed leaving a small opening at the top with each. Spoon three teaspoons of coconut cream into each opening and mix it around. Seal the gaps tightly and place packages into the oven for 25 minutes. Then remove and carefully open without burning your fingers from the stream. Check that the chicken is cooked and re-seal until ready to eat.

While the chicken cooks you can begin making the greens salad. Finish blanching the broccoli and green beans and once cooled place into a large bowl. In a frying pan add a tablespoon of the olive oil and set to a medium to high heat. Add half the kale and fry for about 2 minutes until it softens and reduces in size a little. Scrape into the bowl with the broccoli and green beans and do the same with the second half. Season the greens with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Taste to check the seasoning and then sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds. Plate up with the chicken parcel just opened on the plate with a sprinkle of chopped chives over the breast with the greens on the side. Bon appétit!