Chicken, like fish, is quite delicate when it comes to sous vide cooking - but once you follow a recipe for a delicious meal, this delicate cooking can turn out to be one of the best dishes you've ever had. One of my favorite dishes to prepare with my Anova precision cooker is sous vide cajun-spiced chicken thighs with asparagus.
In this recipe we've used chicken thighs for extra moistness and served it with some herb-loaded asparagus.
To start, take two chicken thighs in a dry cajun spice rub and put them into a bag with some olive oil. Seal the bag and put it into your Anova precision cooker for two hours at 64.5C.
When the chicken has just a few minutes left, prepare your asparagus by snapping off the ends and, if you like, shave off some of the skin towards the bottom. Then fry in a pan for a few minutes on a medium-high heat with some olive oil, salt, pepper and a handful of torn, fresh oregano leaves. After the chicken has finished the sous vide cooking process, open the bag and set aside (don't pour out any juices in the bag).
When the asparagus begins to color, add a splash of water and shake them around in the pan. If there's some moisture in the bag with the chicken, pour a generous splash of this deliciously cajun-spiced, chicken-flavoured moisture into the pan with the asparagus too (and if not, then just add another little splash of water). Fry until all of the moisture has either been absorbed by the asparagus or evaporated and the asparagus are done (around five-10 minutes - bite the end off one to test). While you're waiting for the liquid in the asparagus to reduce, heat up another pan on a high heat with some olive oil in it, and when hot, fry the chicken thighs on one side until they get a nice colour. Season the chicken with salt and pepper in the pan.
On a chopping board, carefully slice the chicken thighs with a sharp knife, keeping them in their original form as much as possible. Finally, plate up your asparagus and place the chicken thighs alongside it.
Cajun-spiced Chicken Thighs with Oregano Asparagus
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of dry cajun spice rub
- 1 bunch/handful of asparagus
- Handful of fresh oregano leaves, torn
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Season chicken with dry cajun spice rub
- Seal in a bag and put in Anova sous vide machine for two hours at 64.5C
- With a few mins left on chicken, prepare asparagus (snap off woody ends)
- Fry asparagus in a pan for a few minutes on a medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano
- After the chicken has finished sous vide cooking, open the bag and set aside (retaining any liquid in the bag)
- When the asparagus begins to colour, add a splash of water and shake them around in the pan
- If there's moisture in the bag with the chicken, pour a good splash of moisture into the pan with the asparagus (if not, add another splash of water)
- Fry asparagus until moisture has either been absorbed by the asparagus or evaporated
- Fry chicken on one side in hot pan with olive oil for a minute
- Slice chicken on chopping board
- Plate up asparagus and place chicken alongside it
