Cheese and Chilli Chicken with Chips

Yesterday, I realised that it had been quite a while since I had featured chicken on this blog. Although the chicken pieces which I used in this dish had been purchased for an entirely different dish and project, I decided that it was more important to put this apparent neglect right. After all, chicken is of course a hugely popular cooking ingredient and one which many people enjoy.

The chips which I have served with this cheese and chilli chicken are prepared in exactly the same way as I have featured them before on this blog many times. The precise instructions can be found or revisited by clicking here before going any further.



Cheese and Chilli Chicken Ingredients (Per Person)

1/2lb chicken breast fillet (chopped in to 1" cubes)
3oz cheddar cheese (grated)
1 small red chilli pepper (finely chopped - seeds in or out depending upon preference)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp sunflower oil for frying

Method

Important note: It is immediately before stir frying the chicken that the chips should be put in for their second frying.

The overhead grill should be put on to preheat to maximum. The wok should be brought up to a very high heat and the sunflower oil added to heat through. It should be noted that normally when I am stir frying chicken, I will, "Velvet," it beforehand. This is a procedure used by the Chinese to protect the chicken during cooking and ensure it does not overcook on the outside while remaining raw on the inside. On this occasion, however, I wanted the chicken to be slightly browned and crisped on the outside, so omitted the procedure altogether.



The chicken pieces should then be stir fried for a couple of minutes on maximum heat, until cooked through and slightly browned on the outside. They should be seasoned with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. It is important to then remove them from the wok, drain them and dry them carefully with some kitchen towel, before placing them as shown in a small ovenproof dish.



The chilli pieces should be stirred through the cheese and the mixture used to evenly cover the chicken. A little extra black pepper can be added at this stage, if desired. The dish should then be placed under the hot grill until the cheese melts and begins to bubble.

The meal can be plated up either by simply serving the chicken in its cooking dish as shown below, or sliding it out of same as shown at the top of this post.