Marmite chicken with cacio e pepe butter beans

Name: Marmite chicken with cacio e pepe butter beans
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 tsp Marmite; 30g butter; 2 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, or a mixture (skin-on, bone in); 2 400g tins butter beans (don’t discard the liquid); 1 garlic clove, crushed; 25g parmesan, finely grated, plus the rind from it (optional); ½ tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns; 3 handfuls spinach

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 24 Oct 23
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

This easy chicken dinner is absolute umami in a bowl. If you’re unable to eat gluten, the rich cheesy beans are your opportunity to try the flavours of the famous Italian pasta dish cacio e pepe, but without the pasta (Marmite however contains gluten). You’re going to love it…

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min

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Ingredients

1 tsp Marmite
30g butter
2 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, or a mixture (skin-on, bone in)
2 400g tins butter beans (don’t discard the liquid)
1 garlic clove, crushed
25g parmesan, finely grated, plus the rind from it (optional)
½ tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
3 handfuls spinach

Method

Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Mix the softened butter and Marmite until you have a pleasing caramel-like mixture. Season the chicken pieces, then rub the Marmite butter all over them, put on an oven tray and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the beans and their liquid to a small pan with the crushed garlic, the parmesan rind (if using) and half the freshly cracked black pepper. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for 15 minutes (add a splash of water if they start to dry out). Once the chicken is ready, carefully pour the buttery Marmitey-chicken juices into the beans and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Stir in the spinach leaves and the grated parmesan, then the rest of the black pepper. Taste and season with a little more salt if necessary. Divide the beans between two bowls, then top with the chicken pieces and serve.

Recipe from November 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 752kcals
Fat: 24g (11g saturated)
Protein: 58g
Carbohydrates: 63g (0.5g sugars)
Fibre: 27g
Salt: 1.9g

delicious. tips

We like this dish with lots of beans and just one piece of chicken, but if you prefer you could halve the quantity of beans and double the chicken.
Using the starchy bean liquid works perfectly in place of the starchy pasta water in a traditional cacio e pepe; it emulsifies exquisitely with the parmesan (and those buttery chicken juices) to create the silky, glossy sauce of your dreams.

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