Crispy Chicken And Cheesy Spinach Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet on the middle oven rack; preheat to 200˚ F. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put 1 cup flour on a plate. Beat the eggs in shallow bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil. Coat 2 chicken breasts in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs. Carefully add to the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (reduce the heat slightly if the chicken is browning too quickly). Remove the chicken to the hot pan in the oven. Repeat with the remaining 2 chicken breasts.
• Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet. Add the butter and melt over medium-high heat. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup flour; cook, whisking, until the mixture is bubbling but not browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the chicken broth until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and Parmesan and cook until heated through and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the olive oil and water in a measuring cup. Pulse the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil mixture and pulse until the dough clumps together, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if needed. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press into a disk and wrap. Let sit at room temperature while you make the filling.
• Make the filling: Wrap the squash in a kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the spinach and add to the squash; stir to break up any clumps. Add the ricotta, fontina, parmesan, half-and-half, scallions, parsley, 2 eggs, the nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; mix until combined.
• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Brush a quarter sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch straight-sided baking pan with olive oil. Cut off one-quarter of the dough; set aside. Roll out the remaining dough into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Trim the edges with a fluted cutter or a knife and ease into the pan. Spread the filling over the dough.
• Roll out the reserved dough into a 6-by-12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Cut lengthwise into 10 strips with the fluted cutter; arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling, trimming as needed. Fold in the overhanging edges. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt and brush on the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unravel the pastry on a lightly floured work surface, and sprinkle the 2 tbsp of hard cheese over one half of the pastry along with ½ tsp cayenne and a crack of black pepper. Fold the other half of the pastry over to close it like a book, and roll out, squashing the cheese in the middle, until it fits into a 22cm tart tin with an overhang. Prick the base with a fork, cover with a sheet of parchment and fill with baking beans. Cook for 15 mins, then remove the parchment and beans. Bake for 10-15 mins until lightly golden, then leave to cool in the tin.
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Spoon small piles of the remaining hard cheese (about 16) in a thin layer onto the sheet, then bake for 5-7 mins until bubbling and melted. As soon as they look lacy, remove from the oven or they will burn quite quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp up. Will keep in an airtight container for two days.
• Put the spinach in a sieve over a clean bowl, and squeeze well with the back of a spoon. Keep the liquid.
• Heat the butter in a heavy-based pan and fry the shallots with a pinch of salt for 10 mins. Stir in the garlic, thyme and 2 tbsp flour, then pour in 250ml of the spinach water, boiling for 1-2 mins. Stir in the mascarpone, nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne, and cook for 5 mins.
• Fold through the cheddar and spinach, tip into a bowl and leave to cool for 5-10 mins. Stir in the eggs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tart case, then pour in the filling. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden. Leave to cool a little before topping with thyme and the cheesy crisps.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve any large potatoes so they're all roughly the same size. Put in a pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 mins until tender. Drain.
• Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tray to sit in one snug layer. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, season and add the lemon zest, garlic, thyme and bay. Toss to coat the potatoes. Use a potato masher to gently crack each potato, being careful not to break them up too much. Place the chicken on top, rub with the rest of the oil and the paprika, then season. Roast for 45 mins until golden brown and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, make the creamed spinach. Boil the kettle and tip the spinach into a colander. Pour over the boiling water to wilt the leaves. Leave to cool.
• Heat the butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook for 8-10 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic for another minute, then the flour for another minute. Pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring and adding more until you have a smooth sauce. Bring to a simmer and stir continuously until the sauce has thickened.
• Squeeze any liquid out of the spinach, then roughly chop. Add to the sauce along with the nutmeg. Season to taste. Transfer to a baking dish, top with the cheese, and bake for 15 mins until golden.
• Cover the chicken and rest for 5 mins. Set aside 2 legs to cool before chilling for lunch tomorrow. Serve the rest (1 full leg each per adult, a drumstick or thigh each for the children) with the potatoes and spinach alongside some carrots.