Weekend Foodie: Turn up the heat with this chilli and lime chicken dish

Sat, 05 Jul, 2025 - 07:41

While we haven’t had the scorching weather that has seen warnings issued in the UK and rest of Europe, we haven’t done too bad with the sun so far. The fields and gardens have benefited from the rain of late, and with the early morning sun in the sky as I write, I’m optimistic for a few more fine days to come. Failing that, we can bring some warmth into proceedings with the food we put on the table this weekend.

I’ve created a summer menu that can be eaten in or outdoors, with some chilli spice in the main course to turn up the heat a bit! I grabbed a bargain of free-range chicken pieces – much cheaper than a whole free-range chicken – less than €5.00 and will certainly feed four for Sunday lunch. I rubbed the pieces with olive oil and lime juice before seasoning with dried chilli flakes and mixed herbs. You can use fresh or dried herbs, but for baking in the oven, I prefer dried because fresh herbs burn very easily and lose their taste. I also added green olives, vine tomatoes and some extra lime wedges to the roasting pan to add flavour to the juices. Serve this simple baked chicken dish with a selection of salads of choice and new potatoes. Perfectly transportable for outdoor eating, either in the garden or let it go cold and it makes great picnic food.

For afters, a queen of summer desserts. A meringue-based Pavlova topped with fresh berries is one of my seasonal favourites. Crisp meringue, whipped cream and fresh soft fruit – classy and hard to beat!

BAKED LIME AND CHILLI CHICKEN

Ingredients (Serves 4)

800g pack free-range chicken thighs and drumsticks
Generous drizzle of olive oil
2 limes
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp pitted green olives
2 large vine tomatoes, in wedges

Method

Place chicken pieces in a large roasting tin.
Drizzle over olive oil and juice of one lime and scatter over the dried herbs. Rub the mix well all over the chicken piece,s then arrange them in the tray skin sides up.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for about 10 minutes for flavours to infuse.
Cut the remaining lime into wedges, lightly squeeze out the juice, and then add the squeezed wedges to the tin with the olives and tomatoes.
Add a little water into the tin, just enough to cover the base generously. This helps keep the pieces moist and makes a little juice for serving.
Roast bird in a pre-heated oven, Gas 5 375F 190C for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Test by piercing pieces with a fork. The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear. If there is any pinkness, return to the oven for a little longer, then test again.
Serve chicken pieces with a selection of salads of choice.

BERRY PAVLOVA

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
Few drops vanilla essence (optional)
For the topping:
250mls cream
350g strawberries, hulled and halved if large
150g raspberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
Fresh mint leaves to finish

This berry pavlova is topped with fresh, seasonal berries- a taste of summer.

Method

Whisk egg whites with half the sugar till they form firm peaks.
Add vanilla essence if using. Whisk in remaining sugar a little at a time till shiny, glossy peaks are formed.
Spoon in a dinner plate-sized circle onto baking parchment on a baking sheet. Make a dip in the centre.
Bake at Gas 2 150C/130C (fan assisted), for about an hour, or until the meringue is crisp.
Turn off the oven, then leave the meringue to cool completely inside the oven with door ajar.
Puree half the strawberries with sugar in a blender till smooth. Reserve.
When ready to serve, transfer the pavlova to a serving plate.
Whip the cream thick, and spoon into the centre dip of the pavlova.
Top with remaining strawberries and raspberries and drizzle with strawberry puree.
Scatter with fresh mint leaves to serve.

THE WEEKEND GARGLE

Think pink this weekend for a glass of wine to go with this delicious summery chicken dish. A glass of chilled rosé will go down a treat. Supervalu have a range of rosé wines on offer this weekend. I am choosing the classic rose of my youth – Mateus Rosé, which is the wine that introduced most of my era to wine with food! It’s off dry style and full fruity flavours of summer berries made it accessible for new wine drinkers, in days when we had no clue what to expect from this continental way of living! These days, we are much more attuned to having wine with a meal, and to matching wines. But I still have a soft spot for one of the original wines that made that happen. The unique flagon shaped bottle of old still remains, albeit slightly sleeker these days. Tip: We used to make candle stick holders out of old Mateus rosé bottles – give it a go when you’ve finished the wine! On offer now at Supervalu, just €8.00 a bottle till 9/07/25.

RECEIPT

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