MEATLESS MOUSSAKA
My veggie version is just as delicious and I serve it with a simply dressed green salad.
Serves 4
360g dried macaroni pasta
125g frozen peas or petit pois
Olive oil, for frying Halloumi cheese, for grating
FOR THE CHICKEN STOCK
1 small corn-fed chicken (about 1.2 kg)
1 small white onion halved, skin on
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 dried bay leaves
A pinch of Greek dried oregano
A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 Put 1.5 litres of cold water in a very large saucepan or ideally a stock pot. Add the chicken, along with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and parsley. Set the pot over a medium-high heat and bring the pot to a bubbling simmer; don’t boil it though as it will go tough – a slow poach is what you’re aiming for. Once bubbling, skim off any impurities from the surface with a ladle, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and leave to poach for about 1-1½ hours, until juices run clear when the chicken thigh is pierced with a knife.
2 Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave the chicken to rest in the stock for 30 mins. When you’re ready, take out the chicken and leave it covered in a bowl. Pass the stock through a sieve. Cook the macaroni following the package instructions, but replace the water with the chicken stock. A few minutes before it’s ready, add the peas to the pan. Once they bob to the surface of the water, drain the pasta.
3 While the macaroni is cooking, strip the skin from the chicken, coarsely chop (it will be a little tacky but persevere, the end result is worth it). Line a plate with paper towels. Set a frying pan over a high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Fry the chicken skin for about 8 mins, until golden and crispy. Season generously with salt and pepper and tip onto the paper towellined plate to drain.
4 When ready to serve, finely shred the chicken flesh and fold it through the cooked pasta and peas. Finely grate some halloumi cheese over the top, season, and crumble some crispy chicken skin on top.