Weeknight dinner recipes | Home Cook Network

Lemon garlic chicken thighs

40 minServes 4

Skin-on thighs cooked skin-side down until crisp, then finished in the oven with a quick lemon pan sauce.

Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the thighs in skin-side down and leave them alone for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and much of the fat has melted out.
Turn the thighs over, cook for 2 minutes, then move the pan to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest part near the bone reads at least 74°C (165°F).
Using an oven glove (the handle stays hot), lift the chicken onto a plate. Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of fat.
Set the pan over medium heat. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the stock, lemon juice and lemon slices. Bubble for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, then stir in the butter.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and scatter with parsley. Serve with rice, potatoes or crusty bread.

Tip: Thighs stay juicy well above 74°C, so a few extra minutes will not dry them out the way breast meat would.

25 min, plus 10 min marinatingServes 3 to 4

A small amount of cornflour in the marinade keeps thin slices of beef tender in a very hot pan.

450 g (1 lb) flank or sirloin steak, sliced thinly across the grain
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce plus 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch), for the marinade
Sauce: 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce, 1 tbsp (15 g) brown sugar, 1 tbsp (8 g) cornflour, 120 ml (½ cup) water
1 large head broccoli (about 400 g / 14 oz), cut into small florets
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp (6 g) finely grated fresh ginger
Cooked rice, to serve

Toss the beef with the 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp cornflour and leave for 10 minutes. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a jug.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add half the beef in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until browned. Lift out and repeat with the rest.
Add the broccoli and 3 tbsp water to the pan, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and just tender.
Push the broccoli aside, add the remaining oil, garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
Return the beef, whisk the sauce again (the cornflour settles) and pour it in. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and thick. Serve over rice.

Tip: Steak slices much more thinly if it has been in the freezer for 20 minutes first.

20 minServes 4

A store-cupboard pasta. Starchy cooking water turns olive oil and cheese into a silky sauce.

Bring about 4 litres (4 quarts) of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt. Cook the spaghetti for 1 minute less than the packet time.
Meanwhile, put the oil and garlic in a large cold frying pan and set over medium-low heat. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic is pale gold, not brown. Take off the heat and stir in the chilli flakes.
Before draining the pasta, scoop out 240 ml (1 cup) of the cooking water.
Tip the drained pasta into the frying pan with 120 ml (½ cup) of the water and the spinach. Toss over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the liquid turns glossy.
Off the heat, add the lemon zest, juice and cheese. Toss again, adding splashes of the saved water until the sauce coats every strand. Taste for salt and serve straight away.

Tip: If the garlic goes dark brown it turns bitter. Start again with fresh garlic; it only costs a minute.

Want a lighter clean-up? The one-pan recipes cook everything on a single tray. For the temperatures used above, see food safety.