Oven Baked Creamy Basil Chicken Topped With Crispy Breadcrumbs

This recipe started with some leftover sourdough bread! We also had some chicken thighs and veggies to use, and it morphed into this creamy, garlicky basil chicken topped off with crispy cheesy breadcrumbs! You could apply the basic recipe to any poultry or even fish or veggies and just try out different flavours. Topping with sourdough breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan absolutely took this to the next level…

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 200g crème fraîche
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 slices of sourdough, whizzed up into breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Glug white wine (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water or chicken stock to loosen up if needed

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C / 375°F. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and spring onions and sauté until fragrant. Pour in the wine first if you’re using, then the crème fraîche and let it simmer gently for a couple of minutes, allowing the flavours to meld.
2. Stir in half of the grated Parmesan cheese until it’s melted and the sauce is smooth. If it’s too thick add some water, chicken stock or even milk. Toss in the chopped basil leaves and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for another minute, then remove from heat.
3. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste. Place them in a baking dish in a single layer. We use the Staub cocotte which has a lid (link here to view the set, we used the mid size for this dish).
4. Pour the creamy basil sauce over the chicken thighs, ensuring they are evenly coated.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture generously over the chicken breasts, creating a crispy, golden crown.
6. Cover the baking dish with either the Staub lid or tin foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of baking to let the breadcrumb topping turn beautifully golden and crunchy.
7. Once the chicken is cooked and the breadcrumb topping is crispy, remove from the oven.
8. Serve your Creamy Basil Baked Chicken Delight with a side of your choice – we opted for grilled courgette and tenderstem broccoli with a few thin slices of lemon for extra zing. We drizzled over some extra virgin olive oil at the end too.

This oven-baked creamy basil chicken with its delectably crispy breadcrumb top will undoubtedly become a household favourite, perfect for elevating your weeknight dinners to gourmet levels – just add breadcrumbs!

Images: HM