Upside-Down Chicken Kiev

Here we’re turning chicken kiev on its head. Instead of stuffing a chicken breast with garlic butter, we’re stuffing a garlic-butter-chicken stuffing into baked sweet potato jackets! I must admit I’ve never actually eaten a homemade chicken kiev. Very occasionally, when mum was too tired or time-strapped to cook, she’d heat up the frozen kind for the family dinner. I do have fond memories of them, but look at the packet and you’ll see they’re full of unidentifiable ingredients! Well, not these ones.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

  • 4 × 300–400 g (101⁄2–14 oz) sweet potatoes, scrubbed well

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

  • 400–500 g (1 lb–1 lb 2 oz) kale, stems discarded, leaves torn into 6–8 cm (21⁄2–3 inch) pieces

  • 1⁄2 cup (75 g) sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and/or chopped or slivered almonds

  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)

  • 1 red capsicum (pepper), cut into 1 cm (1⁄2 inch) pieces

  • 200 g store-bought BBQ chicken, shredded

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and place on one of the baking trays. Roast for 50 minutes, or until a skewer can be inserted easily.

  2. Meanwhile, massage the kale with oil and lightly season with salt, being careful not to add too much, as kale is naturally salty. Arrange in a single layer on the other baking tray and bake on a lower shelf of the oven for the last 10 minutes of the sweet potato cooking time. Toast the seeds and nuts in the oven for the last 5 minutes.

  3. While the vegetables are in the oven, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, or until lightly golden. Turn off the heat and stir in parsley, if using. Set aside.

  4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Fry the capsicum for 3–5 minutes, or until softened, then add chicken and mix until well combined and the mixture is warm. Set aside.

  5. When the sweet potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven. While they are still piping hot, carefully use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise incision along the top of each sweet potato, through the middle, taking care not to cut all the way through. Use a fork to fluff up the centre.

  6. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with garlic butter, top with the chicken mixture and sprinkle with the nuts and seeds. Serve immediately, with the kale chips.

top tips

You can swap the capsicum for 200 g (7 oz) wilted English spinach leaves.

divide and conquer

To make half the dish vegan, use olive oil instead of butter. Use only half the quantity of chicken, keeping it separate for the omnivores. For the vegans, sauté 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mushrooms, and add some wilted English spinach leaves.

8 SERVES VEG per serve

Almost 11⁄2 serves protein per serve

400% RDI vitamins A + C per serve

20% RDI of calcium (from potatoes, kale, capsicum)  

Good source of iron (potatoes, seeds, kale, herbs)