PULLED CHICKEN AND BEANS with ZESTY SALAD and TORTILLA CRISPS

Pulled pork has become an absolute street-food favourite in trendy London. Pork pibil sandwiches and brioche buns appeared on every market and in every burger restaurant, reaching sky high prices. 

However, this recent culinary hit has its shortcomings: it takes mighty long to prepare ( if you are after authentic pork pubil, it might take as long as 7-8 hours), it being pork, it is not the healthiest or cheapest option.

But the popularity of this simple dish got me thinking whether similar techniques and flavours could not be applied when cooking chicken? Then I found some extra inspiration in the latest issue of Good Food Magazine. And here you have the result; at only around 270kcal and £1.20 per portion

PULLED CHICKEN AND BEANS with ZESTY SALAD and TORTILLA CRISPS

(serves 4-6)

 

You will need:

- 4 halved chicken legs

- Tabasco sauce

- 4 crushed garlic cloves

- 1 sliced large red onion

- 400g can of black beans

- 400g can of kidney beans

- tomato pasata

- chopped parsley and lots of it

- 1 iceberg lettuce

- 1/2 cucumber

- olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- lime juice

- 2 plain tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Rub the chicken with Tabasco sauce (as much as you can handle), salt and pepper. Mix crushed garlic, sliced onion and tomato pasata with seasoning and pour into a roasting pan. Place the spiced up chicken legs on top. Cover the whole thing with foil and leave in the oven for 60min.

2. After an hour, take it out of the oven and mix the beans into the tomato sauce. Cook for another 25-30min.

3. Prepare the salad: slice the iceberg lettuce and the cucumber, sprinkle with parsley and a bit of salt, drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. 

For the crisps, cut the tortillas into pieces. Spread them on a flat roasting pan and chuck into the oven for 2-3 min, until nicely toasted.

4. Take the chicken out of the oven and shred it with knife and fork. Discard the bones. Mix the meat with beans and tomato sauce. 

5. Serve the chicken on a big platter, accompanied by the zesty salad and still warm tortilla crisps.