CHICKEN WITH PEAS & BACON

The modern-day garden pea is thought to have originated from the field pea that was native to countries like upper Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and Syria. Because its cultivation dates back thousands and thousands of years, the green pea is widely recognized as one of the first food crops to be cultivated by humans. Peas were apparently consumed in dry form throughout much of their early history and did not become popular as a fresh food until changes in cultivation techniques that took place in Europe in the 16th century.  The word pea is believed to take its etymology from the Latin pisum which then came from the Greek pison. When it was initially adopted in English the vegetable was called pease. This was shortened to pea later due to people incorrectly confusing  the 'se' ending in pease as the 's' in plurals.

Serves 4
40 minutes
379 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 6 rashes of bacon, chopped
• 8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
• 300 ml hot chicken stock
• 250 g frozen peas
• 1 little gem lettuce, roughly shredded
• 2 tbsp crème fraiche

Method

1. In a large frying pan, dry-fry the bacon over a medium heat for 3 minutes until the fat has released and the bacon is golden.
2. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
3. Add the chicken and brown for 4 minutes each side.
4. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and tip in the garlic and spring onions, cooking for about 30 seconds, just until the spring onion stalks are bright green.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, then return the bacon to the pan, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Increase the heat under the pan, then tip the peas and lettuce into the sauce and cook for 4 minutes, covered, until the peas are tender and the lettuce has just wilted.
7. Check if the chicken is cooked through, then stir in the crème fraiche just before serving with a side dish of your choice.