- 500g broad beans
- 3 shallots
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon
- A handful of sorrel
- ½ chicken stock cube
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 150g buckwheat
- 1 mini romaine lettuce
- 45g butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 200ml boiling water
- Measuring jug
- Zester
- Frying pan with lid
- Tongs
- Small frying pan
- 1.
Pop the broad beans out of their pods (see our tip below if you want to double pod them). Peel the shallots and cut them into quarters. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Finely shred the sorrel leaves.
- 2.
Crumble half the stock cube into a jug. Pour over 200ml hot water from the kettle. Swirl to dissolve it.
- 3.
Heat a deep frying pan or wok for 1 min over a medium heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add 2 tsp oil and the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook for about 15 mins till golden brown, turning 2-3 times.
- 4.
Drain the pan of any excess fat. Add the shallots to the chicken. Cook for 2 mins. Add the garlic. Cook for 1 min. Add the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 5 mins. If your pan doesn't have a lid, use a baking tray to cover it.
- 5.
Add the buckwheat to the pan and shuffle everything about so the buckwheat is evenly distributed. Cover. Simmer for 10-15 mins till the buckwheat is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Stir the buckwheat now and then to make sure it cooks evenly.
- 6.
Turn the heat off under the chicken and leave to rest for a few mins. Cut the lettuce into 4 wedges. Melt the butter in a small frying pan till foaming. Add the lettuce and cook for 2 mins, turning once. Add the broad beans. Cook for 1 min more.
- 7.
Stir the lemon zest into the broad beans and lettuce. Serve the chicken with the buttered lettuce garnished with the sorrel.
- Tip
Happy in their skins
For extra greenness you can double pod the broad beans, which means popping them out of their grey skins. To do this, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the broad beans and simmer for 2 mins. Drain, cool and then pinch the loose grey skin and squeeze to pop out the broad bean. Then add them to the lettuce, following the recipe above.