As part of its Recovery programme, 50 Best produced Home Comforts: simple lockdown recipes from the world’s best chefs and bartenders to raise money for the hospitality community. The e-cookbook, which contains 50 recipes from leading chefs and 25 paired cocktails from top bartenders, is available for a minimum donation of $10 (£8) here. Today, we share Clare Smyth’s contribution– an umami-laden Charred Chilli Chicken that she’s been making for her family for decades
Clare Smyth was named The World’s Best Female Chef in 2018 and her restaurant Core in London has received manifold accolades since opening four years ago. For Home Comforts, she called upon a dish that has been pleasing crowds since long before Core made it into the list of internationally renowned restaurants. Like what you see? Click here to make your donation, receive your very own copy of Home Comforts and do your bit to help the hospitality industry in the process.
If Smyth’s dish inspires you to get cooking, check out #50BestRateMyPlate, an Instagram challenge that could see your dish endorsed by some of the world’s best chefs and give you the chance to win tickets to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in Antwerp, Flanders, next year.
CHARRED CHILLI CHICKEN WITH JASMINE RICE
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 1 hour
COOKING TIME: 30 mins
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, diced (2 per portion)
4 chillies
120g toasted peanuts
4 spring onions (scallions)
80g ginger
40g fresh coriander
12tbsp rice wine vinegar
16tbsp soy sauce
80g chicken stock
300g jasmine rice
600ml water
For the marinade
18tbsp rice wine vinegar
18tbsp soy sauce
8tbsp corn flour
Method
Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar and corn flour together, add the diced chicken and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Place the jasmine rice in a pan with the water and cook according to packet instructions. When cooked keep covered to keep warm.
Finely dice the ginger, slice the spring onions and chop the coriander including the stalks. Reserving a small amount of coriander, spring onions and toasted peanuts to serve on top of the rice. Toast the peanuts in the oven for 7 minutes.
Cut the chillies in half lengthwise and add them to a heated pan with oil. Cook until chilies start to blacken, then remove from the oil and set aside. Reserve to put on top of the chicken.
First drain the chicken from its marinade and put it into hot oil and fry until golden (8-10 minutes). Add the ginger, cook for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken stock, soy sauce, spring onions, nuts and rice wine vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook out for a further couple of minutes.
Serve in a bowl with the rice and garnish with the charred chillies and top with the remaining spring onions, coriander and chopped nuts.
In Home Comforts, Smyth’s dish is paired with a light and fragrant cocktail designed by Maura Milia from Connaught Bar, No.2 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2019. Click here to buy a copy and learn how to make gin-based The Blush to pair with this Charred Chilli Chicken with Jasmine Rice.
Visit the Restaurant Recovery Hub and the Bar Recovery Hub to explore useful resources during the coronavirus pandemic and read the stories of chefs and bartenders around the world. Follow 50 Best on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for the latest news and videos.
