CRUNCHY TOP CHICKEN
Chicken baked in a creamy tomato sauce with a crunchy, cheesy topping. This crunchy top chicken is too good! The crumpet breads are an adaptation of Simon Gault’s recipe and are easy and delicious.
Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. The individual components are actually pretty easy and mopping up the sauces with warm, homemade bread is so delicious!
It’s important to make sure you use a good non-stick pan for the bread. For my first attempt I used a not-so-great pan, thinking the oil would prevent any sticking. It was a total mess! The bread stuck to the pan completely and I had to start again.
If you don’t want to splurge on a capsicum (so expensive at the moment!), you can just leave this out or use a sliced onion instead. I also weighed up the cost of a fresh capsicum versus a jar of roasted red peppers and decided fresh was still a more budget-friendly option.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! You can let me know what you think in the comments section below 🙂
CRUNCHY TOP CHICKEN
Chicken baked in a creamy tomato sauce with a crunchy, cheesy topping. Too good! The crumpet breads are an adaptation of Simon Gault’s recipe and are easy and delicious.
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 capsicum
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1lb 5oz)
- 5 tsp olive oil, divided
- 400 g canned pesto flavoured tomatoes (14oz)
- 100 g creme fraiche (3.5oz)
- 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water (60ml)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (50g)
- 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese (50g)
- Fresh basil, to serve (optional)
CRUMPET BREAD
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened yoghurt (250ml)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup plain flour (150g)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup soda water (125ml)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
SALAD
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 avocado (optional)
- 75 g mesclun lettuce (2.6oz)
- 50 g snow pea shoots or salad sprouts (1.8oz)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºF) bake. Line an oven tray with baking paper (for baking the bread on).
PREPARE CHICKEN
Crush garlic and slice capsicum into strips. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add chicken, capsicum and garlic and cook chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish.
Whisk together canned tomatoes, creme fraiche, chicken stock mixture, sugar and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the chicken.
Combine breadcrumbs with remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil, then with cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the chicken and sauce. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked and golden.
MAKE BREAD WHILE CHICKEN COOKS
In a large bowl, stir the baking soda into the yoghurt and leave for a couple of minutes, until foamy. Stir in flour, salt, herbs and soda water until well combined.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized, nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 of the crumpet bread mixture into the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer to the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil as required, to form 4 individual breads. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.
MAKE SALAD
Toast sunflower seeds in pan used to cook the bread. Slice avocado, if using. Combine lettuce, snow pea shoots, avocado and sunflower seeds. Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve crunchy top chicken with basil (if using), crumpet bread and a side of salad drizzled with dressing.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Go for a Chardonnay.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use a gluten-free chicken stock cube and gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can replace plain flour in the bread for gluten-free plain flour - this works well.
EQUIPMENT TIPS: You really need to use a good non-stick pan to cook the bread. I tried it in a not-so-good pan and it was a disaster, even with all the oil!
INGREDIENT SWAPS: This meal would work nicely with chicken sausages too.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store chicken, bread and salad separately. Reheat chicken in the microwave. Bread is best reheated in the toaster or toasted sandwich maker. Dress salad just before serving.
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3 Comments
2 Aug 2022
Crunchy top chicken was a hit in my household as well as the salad. I decided not to include the bread though, tongues proved just as useful at licking the plate clean.😝. Thanks Josie for another delicious recipe.
My husband and I loved the CRUNCHY TOP CHICKEN, have made this a couple of times now, its even great the next day for lunch as well.
Thanks Gina! So pleased to hear you love this meal 🙂