Peruvian-Style Chicken Breast, Chickpea Salad And Rice

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Add your chicken breast portion[s] to a bowl with your ground smoked paprika, ground cumin and half the chopped garlic (you'll use the rest later!), then add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix to combine – this is your Peruvian-style chicken

Cut your pepper[s] in half (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon)

Add the Peruvian-style chicken to one side of a tin foil-lined baking tray and add the halved pepper to the other side

Add a drizzle of olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and put the tray in the oven for an initial 12 min

Tip: Cooking for 4? Use 2 trays!

While the chicken is cooking, add your white long grain rice and 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once cooked, transfer the cooked rice to a plate and reserve the pot

Peel and finely slice your shallot[s], add to a large bowl with your white wine vinegar and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar – this is your quick-pickled shallot

Chop your tomato[es] finely

Strip your mint leaves from their stems (discard the stems!) and chop the leaves roughly

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks (reserve a few leaves for garnish)

Drain and rinse your chickpeas and cut your red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Add the chopped tomato to the quick-pickled shallot with the drained chickpeas, chopped herbs and half of the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!)

Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper – this is your chickpea salad

Once the chicken and pepper have been in the oven for 12 min, remove the yellow pepper from the tray[s], then return the tray[s] to the oven for a further 6-8 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Add the roasted pepper and remaining chopped chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) to a food processor and blitz until smooth

Add your mayo and a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to blitz until fully combined – this is your aji amarillo-style sauce

Return the reserved pot to a medium-low heat with a small knob of butter, the remaining chopped garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Return the cooked rice to the pot and cook for 1 min further – this is your garlic butter rice