Smoked Paprika Chicken with Butter Beans

Ingredients

• 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 350 ml chicken stock
• Crusty bread, to serve
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150 g baby spinach
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper and season generously on both sides with salt, black pepper, and the smoked paprika, pressing the spice into the meat.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide sauté pan or casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs for 4–5 minutes per side until a deeply coloured, mahogany crust forms and the skin lifts cleanly from the pan. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and red pepper to the pan and cook in the chicken fat for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to catch at the edges. Stir in the sliced garlic, sweet paprika, and dried oregano, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until they begin to collapse and release their juices into the pan.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan. Stir through the butter beans, then return the chicken thighs to the pan, nestling them skin-side up into the sauce.
6. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20–22 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
7. Stir the baby spinach through in batches; it will wilt in 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. Serve straight from the pan with a squeeze of lemon, a generous scattering of fresh parsley, and crusty bread or rice to mop up the sauce.