Chicken Marengo with prawns
Originally from New Zealand, Vicki Matchett is known for her long-standing commitment to developing South Australia’s food culture and for producing her award-winning Matchett’s condiments.
She has an industrial kitchen overlooking the Scott Creek Conservation Park in the Adelaide Hills, where she produces a range of around 40 different gourmet products including olives, crackers, dressings, pickles, relishes, mustard, dukkah and pastes, as well as a large property near Middleton on the Fleurieu Peninsula, where she organically grows her own beef, lamb, yabbies, fruit and vegetables.
“Lust”, her smokey chipotle pepper chutney, is delicious served as an accompaniment to barbecued meats, cheese and nachos. Matchett also uses Lust as an ingredient, adding a smokey depth to her recipe for Chicken Marengo with prawns, a quick and easy dish to prepare for people as busy as she is.
“Righto, back to chasing down that brown snake that the dog and I had an altercation with earlier today,” Matchett says as she signs off.
Chicken Marengo with prawns
Ingredients
¼ cup vegetable oil
1.5kg boneless chicken thigh
½kg large green prawn meat, de-veined
2 onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 fresh long red cayenne chillies, chopped
2g saffron threads – soak in ¼ cup of warm water to soften
2 tsp smoked paprika
140g tomato paste
400g crushed tomatoes
4 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 cups water or chic/veg stock
4 tbs Matchett’s Lust
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a heavy pan, heat the vegetable oil. Brown off the chicken, followed by the prawns. Place chicken and prawns into an ovenproof dish.
Fry onion, garlic and chilli until soft. Add all remaining ingredients and bring sauce to simmering point. Transfer to the baking dish with the chicken and prawns.
Cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Place in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Stay informed, daily
If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water and adjust the seasoning.
Serve hot with rice, couscous or soft polenta.
Serves 6
