Cajun Chicken

1.4lb / 650g boneless skinless Chicken Thighs (see notes)

1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp EACH: Cajun Seasoning, Lime Juice

1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper

Sauce

1 cup / 240ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp

1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock

1/3 cup / 80ml Dry White Wine

1/3 cup / 30g freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup / 100g Sun Dried Tomatoes, thinly sliced

2oz / 60g Baby Spinach

1 medium Onion, finely diced

2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced

1 tbsp Unsalted Butter

1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning

In a large shallow dish whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cajun seasoning, salt & pepper. Add in the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Marinate in the fridge for as long as you have time (up to overnight). Take out the fridge around 30 minutes before needed. If you’re pushed for time just rest at room temp as you prep the other ingredients.

Add the thighs smooth-side-down to a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly charred, then flip and continue frying until lightly charred on the other side and piping hot right through the center. Remove and place to one side.

Lower heat to medium and add in the butter and onion. Fry until soft & golden, then add in the cajun seasoning & garlic and fry for another minute or so. Pour in the wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape off all the flavor in the pan. Allow the wine to simmer until mostly evaporated.

Add in stock, cream and parmesan. Give it a good stir until the parmesan melts. Once bubbling, add in the spinach & sun-dried tomatoes and continue simmering until the spinach wilts and the sauce begins to thicken.

Stir in any resting juices from the chicken, then return the thighs and baste for a minute or so to heat them back through. Serve up and enjoy!

Notes

a) Chicken Thighs – If any of the thighs are considerably un-even then you can gently pound them to even thickness. You can sub chicken breast if you’d prefer – in which case I’d recommend using 2 large breasts and slicing them horizontally through the center to make 4 even-sized breasts. Continue with the recipe as stated, the only difference is they’ll cook quicker than thighs.

b) Saltiness – Different cajun seasoning brands will differ slightly in saltiness. I typically find that no more seasoning is needed in the sauce, especially with the parmesan, stock & cajun seasoning. However, you can more salt if you’d prefer. On the flip side, if you’re at all wary I’d recommend using low-sodium chicken stock and definitely make sure it’s unsalted butter.

*adapted from https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/