Marcus Everyday: Easy Family Food for Every Kind of Day

100ml rice wine vinegar

25g palm sugar, grated, or soft brown sugar

50ml fish sauce

100ml toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp tamarind paste

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, inner layers grated with a fine or Microplane grater

4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated with a fine or Microplane grater

2 tbsp peanut butter

grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1 Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Put the chicken breasts in a dish, coat them in the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour (ideally overnight).

2 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

3 Lay a sheet of foil on your work surface. Place the marinated chicken on top then gather the foil around it. Place the foil package on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Put the peanuts on a separate baking tray and roast in the oven for 5–7 minutes. Remove the nuts and chicken and allow the chicken to cool in the foil for 20 minutes, then unwrap and slice.

4 Place the rice noodles in a large heatproof bowl and bring a kettleful of water to the boil. Cover the noodles in the boiling water and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

5 Blitz all the dressing ingredients together in a blender, or in a jug using a stick blender.

6 Drain the noodles and place them in a large bowl. Add the carrots, cucumber and beansprouts and mix well. Arrange on a large serving platter then top with the chicken and the dressing. Finish with the coriander, mint and peanuts (and sliced chillies, to taste, if using).

MARCUS’ TIP:

Make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 days. It is great to have on hand for coleslaw or a quick vegetable stir-fry.

Chicken, Leek and Wholegrain Mustard Potato Pie (#ulink_5f9698c6-261a-596e-8f6e-e7445bfa38fc)

This is a great dish when you need something substantial and warming for supper during the week. Use leftover cooked chicken from a Sunday roast instead of the chicken legs, if you’ve got it. The mashed potato and mustard sauce can be made ahead, and it can be assembled in advance, too. See my mashed potato masterclass (#litres_trial_promo) for the ultimate pie topping.

SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING | COOKING TIME: 50 MINUTES

4 chicken legs, or 4 ready-roasted chicken legs

2 tbsp butter (plus an extra 2 tbsp if using uncooked chicken)

4 leeks, thinly sliced into 5mm-thick rounds and rinsed

100ml good-quality chicken stock

100g Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE MASHED POTATO

400g King Edward potatoes (or other floury variety), peeled and cut into large equal-sized chunks

50g butter, melted

75–100ml warm milk

pinch of table salt

2 egg yolks

FOR THE WHOLEGRAIN MUSTARD SAUCE

60g butter

60g plain flour

300ml milk

200ml good-quality chicken stock

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

2 If using uncooked chicken legs, lay a sheet of foil on your work surface. Place the chicken legs, 2 tablespoons of the butter and a generous pinch of salt and pepper on top then gather the foil around it. Place the package on a baking tray and bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the foil for 20 minutes, then unwrap and roughly shred the chicken, discarding the bones and skin. If you are using ready-roasted chicken legs, do the same with those.

3 Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan, add the leeks, season generously with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until they start to wilt, then add the chicken stock and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the leeks are almost cooked through.

4 Put the potatoes for the mash in a saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 20 minutes, until tender, then drain well, return to the pan off the heat and mash with the melted butter and milk until smooth. Add the table salt and egg yolks and mix well.

5 To make the wholegrain mustard sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and when it starts bubbling whisk in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring, then gradually whisk in the milk and stock, a little at a time. When all the milk and stock have been added, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, whisking regularly to prevent it catching on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, add both mustards and season with sea salt. Add the chicken and leeks and mix well.

6 Pour the chicken and leek mix into a casserole dish or deep pie dish (about 26cm). Top with the mashed potato, smoothing it over, then fluff up the surface with a fork, and sprinkle over the grated cheese (if using). Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until lightly golden on top and bubbling, remove from the oven and serve.

Chicken, Split Pea and Kale Curry (#ulink_156ddcef-dd76-558d-9409-928ce5e48d7b)

There often seems to be a jar of split peas lurking in the back of store cupboards, and this is a great recipe to get the most out of them. They add a lovely richness to this nutritious curry, and also help bulk it out. I prefer to use chicken legs or thighs in a curry, rather than chicken breast, as the fat content makes them a bit more flavoursome, and stops them drying out as chicken breasts can tend to do.

SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 55 MINUTES

4 tbsp vegetable oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced into large chunks