One-Pan Creamy Chicken and Bacon

Tempo

40 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

4porções

Ingredientes

2 tbsp

extra virgin olive oil (split: 1 + 1)

500 g

chicken thigh fillets (sobrecoxa de frango desossada)

brown onion, finely chopped (cebola pera)

125 g

middle bacon rashers, trimmed, chopped (bacon em fatias grossas; 1/4 reserved separately for garnish — see method)

garlic cloves, crushed

300 ml

cooking cream (creme de leite culinário, ou creme de leite fresco)

chicken stock cube, crumbled (caldo de galinha tablete)

⅓ cup

finely grated parmesan (parmesão ralado)

½ cup

frozen peas (ervilha congelada)

60 g

baby spinach (espinafre baby)

1 tsp

finely grated lemon rind (raspas de limão siciliano)

Salt + pepper

01**Sear chicken.** Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high. Add chicken; cook, turning, **5 min** until golden and browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
02**Onion + bacon.** Add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add onion + bacon. **Cook 5 min**, stirring, until onion is soft and bacon is golden.
03**Garlic.** Add garlic; cook 30 sec until fragrant.
04**Reserve 1/4 of bacon mixture.** Transfer to a small bowl; cover (this goes on top at the end as garnish).
05**Sauce.** Return chicken to pan with cream + crumbled stock cube + parmesan + 1⅓ cups (320 ml) water. Bring to a boil; reduce to medium. **Simmer uncovered 10 min**, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.
06**Peas + spinach.** Stir in peas + spinach. Cook **1-2 min** until heated through and spinach wilted.
07**Finish.** Off heat, stir in lemon rind. Salt + pepper.
08**Plate.** Sprinkle reserved bacon-onion mixture on top. Serve with rice, mashed potato, or crusty bread.

Weeknight cream chicken. Sear, build cream sauce in the same pan, add peas + spinach + lemon at the end. From frying pan to plate in 40 minutes.

Heat: 0/5.

Chicken thigh, not breast — breast goes dry in cream sauces. Sobrecoxa desossada (boneless thigh) is the right choice.
Cooking cream vs. heavy cream: Australian "cooking cream" is a stabilised cream that doesn't split. Creme de leite fresco (35% fat) works; creme de leite UHT em caixa is thinner but OK.
Bacon rashers: bacon em fatias grossas defumado. The "middle bacon" Aussie cut is roughly streaky + back combined.
Pan size: large frying pan, 30 cm+. The reduction needs surface area.
Variations: stir in 100 g mushrooms with the onion; or 1 sliced leek; or finish with 2 tbsp grain mustard.
Pairing: rice that soaks up the sauce; or wide pasta (pappardelle); or crusty bread.
Make-ahead: assembled dish goes leathery after fridge overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of milk. Better fresh.