Mrs C’s Big Flat Greek Chicken

Certain recipes are evocative, they conjure up the taste and smell of holidays spent on sun-kissed Mediterranean beaches. As you read this I’m probably still on my Greek Odyssey struggling up a mountainside with Mrs C’s colossal suitcase full of shoes she will never wear. So I thought this an opportune time to share with you one of her favourite recipes she often cooks at home using local ingredients. For us, it’s a timely reminder of happy holidays spent in Greece. Cooking this at home in Falmouth using good Cornish produce gives it an added edge that we both adore.

The ingredients

2 Skinless chicken breasts, which really need to be of good quality, so please don’t use supermarket chicken, we insist on sourcing ours from Higher Calenick Farm Butchers in Kea.

Wrap your chicken breasts in cling film and using a rolling pin flatten the chicken breasts but don’t be too brutal as you don’t want to bruise the meat.

For the Marinade

2 cloves of garlic – use less if you are not a fan

A pinch of Cornish sea salt

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Juice of half a lemon

A sprinkling of lemon zest

4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin olive oil

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In a pestle and mortar crush the garlic with the sea salt, stir in the oregano followed by the lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. Stir until combined and then pour over your chicken breasts making sure they are well coated. Cover the dish with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. At this point, Mrs C normally takes time out to glug a glass of Prosecco. This of course is optional.

Put a large griddle pan on a medium to high heat as you want the chicken breasts to char on the outside so wait until it’s really hot. Don’t use any additional oil in the pan as your chicken should already be coated. Depending on thickness, cook your chicken for 4 minutes on each side but do test that it is properly cooked through by using a skewer.

You can of course serve this dish with green beans or potatoes, or any vegetable of your choice though we prefer to serve it with our favourite Cornish salad leaves from The Argal Farm Shop in Falmouth. In short, this is a simple summer supper that providing you use good quality chicken, will always taste delicious.

In the meantime, as the sun sinks and it is slowly getting darker. We watch the stars appearing in the night sky. Mrs C pours another glass of Prosecco and whispers in my ear: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. But I do declare I know how to cook chicken!” I nod gently in agreement.

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