Hunter’s Chicken

Hunter’s Chicken is a British pub classic – chicken wrapped in bacon, cooked in a tomato-based sauce and finished off with melted cheese on top. Mmmmm. Pinch of Nom have created a lighter version using bacon medallions and reduced-fat cheddar and it tastes as good as anything you’ll enjoy in your local boozer.

PON’s recipe comes in at 343 calories, but this doesn’t include any accompaniments. So, in the interests of following UK government advice and turning this into a ‘substantial meal’ (I shouldn’t even joke), I served mine with a few peas and naughty chips. But to keep the calories down, I suggest having it with some green veg and/or a very small portion of healthy mash (using low-fat crème fraiche).

If you’re currently stuck in a tier 3 or tier 4 area and are missing some classic British home-cooked food, check out the pub classics section on this blog here. The only downside is you’ll have to cook them yourself ;-).

Recipe: Hunter’s Chicken

Calories: 343 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: Pinch of Nom

Prep time: Approx 10 mins

Cooking time: Approx 1 hour (if cooking in an oven)

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts (skin and visible fat removed)
• 4 bacon medallions
• ½ onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp BBQ seasoning – 1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika (or chilli powder or plain paprika if you don’t have this)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp granulated sweetener
• 80g reduced-fat Cheddar (grated)

Cost per portion: Approx £1.70 (without vege and/or mash / chips

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / Fan 160 degrees C / gas mark 4. Wrap a bacon medallion around the middle of each chicken breast and secure it with a cocktail stick.

Put all the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) in an ovenproof casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Place the chicken on top, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour. When the time is up, check that the chicken is cooked. Remove it from the dish and set aside. Blitz the sauce in the casserole with a stick blender until smooth.

Place the cooked chicken in an ovenproof dish and remove the cocktail sticks. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and scatter over the cheese, dividing it equally among all four chicken breasts. Place under a hot grill until the cheese is melted and has a nice golden colour.