Smoky Paprika Chicken with Warm Cannellini Beans

The premise of Rosie Reynolds’ The Shortcut Cook is to share classic recipes with clever shortcuts to make them easier, faster and tastier. This Smoky paprika chicken with warm cannellini beans makes double use of a smoky paprika mayonnaise as both marinade and dip, resulting in moist chicken with crispy skin. Adding ripe tomatoes to the baking tray provides a quick way of creating a simple sauce for the beans.

For those wanting to make ahead, the raw chicken in marinade can be stored in the fridge for two days before cooking.

Find out more about the cookbook in our full review of The Shortcut Cook.

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Smoky Paprika Chicken with Warm Cannellini Beans

Mayonnaise is used in this recipe as the base of a marinade for the chicken and also as the accompaniment to the dish. The great thing about using mayo is that it stays in place and doesn’t slip off as the chicken cooks and gets hot; it also keeps the chicken from drying out, as it forms a protective layer on the outside. 

Try adding different ingredients to the mayo to flavour the chicken – here I have used smoked paprika and garlic, a twist on classic Spanish flavours. 

Add vine tomatoes to the hot tray at the end of cooking to soften them, squishing a few to make a warm dressing for the cannellini beans. This really is a super-easy, one-pan meal that I am sure will become a family favourite.

Servings 2 servings

Author Rosie Reynolds

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 chicken leg portions, scored 2–3 times
• 200 g 7 oz cherry vine tomatoes, cut into small bunches
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 400 g 14 oz tin cannellini beans, drained
• large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Make ahead: Prep the marinade and rub over the chicken legs 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container.

The shortcut: Squashing a couple of cooked ripe tomatoes in the tray to make a dressing for the beans not only saves on washing up, but instantly harnesses all those pan juices. Scoring the chicken legs ensures the marinade goes deep into the meat and speeds up the cooking time.

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, smoked paprika and grated garlic, then remove two thirds to a small bowl and set aside.
• Spread the remaining mayo over the chicken legs, rubbing it into the scores. Lay the chicken on a baking tray (pan) and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/430°F/Gas 8.
• Cook the chicken in the hot oven for 40 minutes, then remove it from the oven and add the tomatoes to the tray. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest.
• Squash a couple of the tomatoes, add the vinegar and scrape up any juices at the bottom of the tray to make a dressing. Tip the cannellini beans into the tray, stirring to coat them with the warm dressing and any resting juices from the chicken. Taste for seasoning.
• Spoon the dressed beans out into a serving dish, top with the chicken and scatter with the parsley. Serve immediately, with the reserved smoky paprika mayonnaise on the side.

It’s always great when a dish made to a cookbook recipe is a dead wringer for the recipe photograph, and Jack definitely nailed it with this one!

Made the recipe? Come back to let us know how you got on!

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Kavey Eats received a review copy of The Shortcut Cook by Rosie Reynolds from publisher Hardie Grant. Photography by Louise Haggar.