Fragrant Chicken & Silverbeet

Rinse the basmati rice well. Bring the rice and the water (for the rice) to the boil in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the rice is soft. Drain and return to the saucepan. Cover with a lid to keep warm.

While the rice is cooking, season the free-range chicken thigh with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and almost cooked through (the chicken will continue cooking in step 4). Set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme and sweet mustard spice blend to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low, add the white wine vinegar and cook for 1 minute, or until the liquid has evaporated. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and add the water (1/2 cup for 2 people/ 1 cup for 4 people) and cooking cream (use suggested amount). Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a full kettle of water to the boil. In a large bowl, add the silverbeet and cover with boiling water. Set aside to blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out any excess water and then add to the pan with the garlic-thyme sauce. Stir and remove from the heat. * TIP *: Blanching the silverbeet first stops it from releasing its water into the sauce and diluting the flavour.