Chicken and Chorizo Lasagne by @coxys_kitchen
The flavours from the roast chicken bring a special flavour profile to this already delicious dish, but you can easily make this dish using raw chicken thigh meat; simply cook it for a little longer so that the chicken absorbs all the lovely tomatoey chorizo flavours.
Of course a lasagne wouldn’t be a lasagne without a silky smooth béchamel sauce – and béchamel sauce is also the perfect way of using up leftover milk.
Milk that has just started to turn has a sour, but also slightly salty flavour. This saltiness is a great seasoning for the sauce and means you can use less salt to season at the end of cooking. Using milk in this way is perfectly safe, as the milk is cooked through. This dish is a great way of using up leftovers to reduce food waste, but is also budget friendly, full of flavour and a dish that is sure to become a family favourite.
Recipe serves 4
Preparation time: 20 – 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- Approx. 500g cooked roast chicken, cut into small pieces (or 500g raw chicken thighs)
- 120g chorizo, diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 125ml dry white wine
- Fresh lasagne sheets, approx. 10 sheets
- 100g grated cheese of your choice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
For the Béchamel sauce:
- 500ml milk
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- Salt and ground black pepper
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion, celery and garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the chorizo and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to release its oils. Add the cooked chicken, paprika, parsley and wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the tinned tomatoes and sugar and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste
NOTE: If using raw chicken, cook the chicken on all sides before adding the wine, then continue as above, but cook the chicken for 10 minutes longer (20 minutes in total) - While the lasagne filling is cooking, turn the oven on to preheat and make the béchamel sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over a low to medium heat, then add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste. Gradually add the milk, whisking at all times to make sure that there are no lumps in the sauce – occasionally use a wooden spoon to scrape out any lumps stuck in the edges at the bottom of the saucepan. Keep whisking and stirring the sauce until it starts to thicken, then season with salt and pepper
- Before assembling, check whether the lasagne sheets are the right fit for your ovenproof dish – cut them down to size if needs be. Once your lasagne sheets are ready, it’s time to assemble
- Take ladleful of the lasagne filling and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of the béchamel sauce and then a layer of the lasagne sheets and repeat until all the filling has gone. Finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and top with a thin layer of the béchamel sauce. Finally sprinkle over the grated cheese and bake in the oven on 200c / Gas Mark 6 for 40-45 minutes until bubbling and the top of the lasagne is golden with crispy edges. Serve with some garlic bread and a green side salad
Get Christmas party ready – let Coxy’s Kitchen come to you
Coxy’s Kitchen provides a private dining and home-cooking service throughout Yorkshire. With Christmas just around the corner, why not book Coxy’s Kitchen to cook at your Christmas dinner or drinks party – lockdown rules permitting. To make an initial enquiry, email coxyskitchen@icloud.com
