Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Carrot Sticks and Hummus

• 600 gskinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 60 gplain flour
• 2eggs, beaten
• 100 gpanko breadcrumbs
• 1 tspgarlic granules
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 3large carrots, peeled and cut into batons
• 1cucumber, cut into batons
• 1 tbspolive oil
• ½ tspground cumin
• 400 gtin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsptahini
• 1garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1lemon, juiced
• 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tbspice-cold water
• Fine salt and black pepper
• 1lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
• 4pitta breads (optional)

Method

1. 1Preheat the oven to 220°C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and drizzle over the 2 tbsp olive oil; that slick of oil is what gives the nuggets their shatter-crisp underside, like a shallow oven-fry.
2. 2Tip the panko into a shallow bowl with the garlic granules, ¾ tsp of the smoked paprika and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toast the spiced crumbs in a dry pan for 30–60 seconds until fragrant and just turning sandy gold. Tip back into the bowl. Set up a breading station: flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in a second, seasoned panko in a third. Season the chicken chunks generously with salt and pepper before they go anywhere near the flour.
3. 3Working one piece at a time, roll each chicken chunk in flour and shake off the excess, dunk into the egg until fully coated, then press firmly into the panko so the crumbs cling all over. Lay on the oiled tray with space between each piece; crowd them and they'll steam instead of crisp.
4. 4Bake for 20–22 minutes, turning halfway, until deeply golden, crisp all over and cooked through with no pink at the centre.
5. 5While the nuggets bake, toss the carrot batons with the 1 tbsp olive oil, ground cumin and a good pinch of salt. Spread on a second tray in a single layer and roast alongside the nuggets for 18–20 minutes, until tender and caramelised at the edges.
6. 6Meanwhile, make the hummus. Drop the garlic clove into the food processor with the chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice. Blitz for 1 minute until roughly combined; the raw garlic gets tamed by the lemon juice as it sits, but keep it to one clove so it doesn't bully the tahini.
7. 7With the motor running, stream in 2 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil followed by the ice-cold water. Blitz for a further 2–3 minutes until very pale, fluffy and silky; the ice water is what whips air through it and lifts the texture. Taste, season with salt, taste again.
8. 8Spoon the hummus into a wide bowl and swoosh the back of the spoon through it to make a generous well. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and dust with the reserved ¼ tsp smoked paprika.
9. 9Pile the hot, crisp nuggets onto a large serving board with the roasted carrots, cucumber batons and hummus. Add the optional lemon wedges and pitta breads if using.

Per serving

kcal

859

protein

65g

fibre

11.6g

carbs

61.4g

fat

38.1g