Spring chicken with veg broth and minted pea purée recipe

Get the most out of new season veg with this fresh, flavourful spring chicken with veg broth and minted pea purée. It's really simple to make and is well worth the wait taking 55 mins to cook in total. This dish works out at 446 calories per serving making it a filling dinner or hearty lunch for the whole family. You could serve this chicken dish in the summer months when the weather is started to get a little too hot for a full roast dinner.

Ingredients

• 15g butter
• 2 good-sized chicken legs (250g/8oz) each
• 4 thin young carrots
• 250g smallish new potatoes, halved
• 600ml hot chicken stock
• 2 small bay leaves
• 10 round green beans, tailed and cut into short lengths
• 1 head of spring greens, quartered
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

For the pea purée:

• 60g fresh or frozen peas
• 10 mint leaves

Method

1. To start this chicken leg recipe heat a deep-sided frying pan, add the butter and the chicken legs, skin down, and fry for 5 mins over a medium heat, until well browned. Turn them over and fry for another 4-5 mins. Tip out most of the fat and set it aside.
2. Add the carrots and new potatoes to the pan and pour in enough stock to just cover the veg, but not totally cover the chicken, as you want to keep the browning on it. Add the bay leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins.
3. Add the beans, greens and spring onions, top up with more stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins.
4. Meanwhile, put the peas in a small pan, add the reserved cooking fat, the mint leaves and 5tbsp stock from the chicken pan. Simmer for 5-8 mins until softened. Mash to a purée and season.
5. Divide the chiekn and veg between 2 hot shallow serving bowls. Put the stock on the heat and reduce it a little, then pour into the bowls. Serve with the minted pea puree.