The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA PIZZA

THIS IS ALWAYS A SURPRISE DISH FOR GUESTS WHO NEVER CONNECT INDIAN FLAVORS WITH PIZZA. In fact, while I’m taking a slight liberty with the word “pizza” here, there is absolutely nothing unusual about chicken tikka being scooped up with pieces of naan and popped into the mouth. I love the chewy quality of naan bread, and there are some good frozen versions on supermarket shelves these days. That makes life all the easier. The recipe below is for four naan bread pizzas, but naan sizes may vary where you live. Just keep making them until you are all out of bread or chicken tikka masala, whichever comes first. MAKES 4 PORTIONS

4 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 2 cups plain yogurt ¼ cup lime juice ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro ½ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons toasted ground cumin 3 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons ground coriander seed 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

4 store bought naan breads

1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix together the cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, yogurt, lime juice, salt and whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts and massage the rub into the chicken. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. 2 Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto a baking sheet. Keep the marinade and set aside. Bake the chicken for about 8-10 minutes until just tender.

3 Melt the butter in a heavy based pan and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook on a low heat until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and heavy cream. Then add the marinade the chicken was in. Simmer for at least 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Once you have the consistency of a thick sauce remove from the stove and allow to cool. 4 Slice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and stir into the sauce. Divide the chicken and sauce between the four Naan breads and bake at 400ºF for about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro on top of each just before serving.

96 THE ROYAL CHEF AT HOME