Lemon chicken casserole
This juicy chicken casserole is low in potassium and high in protein, making it an ideal meal for those having dialysis.
Chef
Ingredients
2 tablespoons honey
2 lemons (1 zested and juiced, 1 cut into slices)
600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm chunks
80g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
500ml low-salt chicken stock
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme (optional)
200g carrots, chopped
200g broccoli
240g basmati rice, rinsed in cold water
Method
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200α΅C / 180α΅C fan /gas mark 6. Put the honey and lemon zest and juice into a bowl and whisk until mixed. Add the chicken thighs and coat in the mixture. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
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Step 2
In a frying pan over a medium heat, add half of the butter and half of the olive oil. Once the fat is foaming, fry the marinated chicken pieces in batches for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown. Set the cooked chicken pieces into a casserole dish and repeat using the remaining butter, oil and chicken pieces.
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Step 3
Once all the chicken has been fried and placed in the casserole dish, add the sliced lemon to the frying pan with the crushed garlic and the marinade juices and stir well. Return the chicken thighs to the frying pan with the chicken stock and thyme. Bring to the boil and transfer to the casserole dish and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
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Step 4
Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then drain. Boil the carrots and broccoli in a large saucepan of water until tender, then drain. Remove the chicken from the casserole dish and set aside. Sieve the sauce into a saucepan, cook on a high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced. Spoon the lemon sauce over the casseroled chicken and serve with the vegetables and rice.
Food facts
The main source of carbohydrate in this dish is the rice and the value of this dish has been provided for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.
This is a low potassium recipe, ideal for those advised to lower potassium in their diet. It is also low in phosphate but if you have been prescribed a phosphate binder, ensure you take them with this dish.
This dish is high in protein and suitable for people advised to eat more protein, such as those receiving dialysis. If you have been advised to reduce your protein intake, reduce the portion of chicken by half and serve with extra rice and vegetables or pulses such as chickpeas.
Use a gluten-free stock.
If you want to reduce the amount of fat in this recipe, you could use chicken breasts as they tend to be lower in fat than thighs.
To reduce the cost, use frozen chicken thighs. Or you may wish to buy chicken thighs with skin and bones and remove these yourself.
This dish is best eaten cooked fresh. However, it can be cooled, refrigerated and kept in an airtight container for use within two days. Heat thoroughly before serving.
When sieving the lemon marinade into the saucepan to reduce the volume in step 4, use the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze all the flavour from the garlic and lemon and then scrape the bottom of the sieve to get all the flavour into the pan.