Pan-fried Chicken with Curried Leeks and Lentils

This Pan-fried Chicken with Curried Leeks and Lentils makes a lovely meal full of wonderful flavors, nutrition and protein, with a fab creamy sauce. 

I don’t post all the chicken meals we eat but we eat a lot of chicken, especially thighs. They aren’t too expensive and they lend themselves so nicely to a variety of sauces and spices. Chicken is adaptable! Plus, it is a good source of protein, something I’ve been trying to eat more of. 

We loved this dish and writing this up reminds me that I need to add it to the coming week’s menu again. 

Pan-fried Chicken with Curried Leeks and Lentils

This recipe is adapted from one in my (now-defunct) favorite food magazine, delicious. I really miss it. Among other things, the original added two cans of lentils. Our appetites aren’t that large and one suited nicely. Drain and add a second can, if you’d like, but only save and use the liquid from the first one. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large chicken thighs

2 shallots, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 leeks, sliced

1 tablespoon mild curry powder

5 oz or 150ml dry white wine

1 can (14.1 oz or 400g) green lentils (or two, see note above)

5 oz or 150ml whipping cream

For garnish: a few leaves cilantro

Method

Peel and finely slice the shallots and garlic. Clean the leeks well and slice them into rounds.

Season the chicken with salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crisp and golden (about 8-10 minutes.)

Transfer the chicken to a plate. 

Add the shallots, garlic and leeks to the pan. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all the lovely brown bits. 

Stir in the curry powder. Leave to simmer until the wine is reduced by half.

Drain the can of lentils, saving the liquid. Add the lentil liquid to the pan along with the cream.

Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, and cover with the lid. 

Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through juices should run clear when a sharp knife is pushed into the thickest part of the thigh.

Remove the lid, push the chicken to one side (or remove it to give yourself more room to stir) and add in the lentils. 

(I tried the side push first and I guess my pan wasn't quite big enough for me to stir well.) Stir to combine.

Add the chicken back again if you removed it or center it in the pan if you didn’t. Simmer for 7-9 more minutes to reduce the sauce a little and heat the lentils through. 

Taste and add salt if needed. Garnish with a few leaves of cilantro to serve. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes made with fresh vegetables. Many thanks to our host, Sneha from Sneha’s Recipe. Check out the links below. 

• Creamy Italian Ranch Corn & Green Bean Salad from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Curry Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus from A Messy Kitchen
• Garlic Basil Wax Beans from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlicky Margherita Pizza from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Pan-fried Chicken with Curried Leeks and Lentils from Food Lust People Love
• Roasted Chinese Eggplant from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Tendli and Potato Fry from Sneha's Recipe
• Veggie Mac & Cheese from Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join. 

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with Curried Leeks and Lentils!

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Bacon and Pork Patties

Flavorful and tender, these delicious bacon and pork patties are simple to make and are a very tasty alternative to the more traditional beef burger. 

I’ve mentioned more than a few times in this space, my love of Costco's bacon crumbles. There was a little panic on my part a couple of years ago when I thought they had been discontinued because I couldn’t find them in any of my nearby stores. I managed to order some online so a crisis was averted but they are, thank goodness, back in stock again. 

In most cases, I fry the bacon crumbles a little bit so they are nice and crispy before adding them to a recipe but for these bacon and pork patties, the little bit of extra fat helps keep the patties tender and moist. Also, no one really wants crunchy bits in a patty. 

This is also why I blend the onion with the egg. Do I like slices of onion on a burger? Absolutely! Do I want even small chunks of raw onion in my patties? I do not, thank you very much.

Bacon and Pork Patties

As you can see from the ingredients list, I don’t add any salt to the mixture because the bacon crumbles are a bit salty and that’s enough for us. If you are unsure, fry a teaspoon or so of the mixture and give it a taste before forming the patties. You can add salt then if needed.

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g ground pork

1 cup, firmly packed, or 120g bacon crumbles

1 small onion (about 125g)

1 egg

A few generous grinds of black pepper

olive oil

Method

Peel the onion and cut it into chunks. Use a hand blender or food processor to blend the onion and egg until liquidized. 

Put the ground pork and bacon in a large bowl. Add the pureed egg/onion mix and some generous grinds of fresh black pepper. 

Mix the lot together thoroughly. Divide the meat into four even pieces, then form these into patties. Mine each weighed 170g or 6 oz.

To cook them, heat a skillet over a high flame and drizzle in a little olive oil. Cook the patties for several minutes on each side, until they are cooked through and nicely browned. 

Serve on a hamburger bun, or if you want to get fancy, you can make my large cheddar herb scones instead. That's how I served mine! 

These bacon and pork patties would also be great served with a salad or accompanied by some vegetables. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 16th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter P. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the P recipes below:

• Airy Focaccia with Pecorino Romano and Herbs from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Bacon and Pork Patties from Food Lust People Love
• Italian Baked Pork Chops from Blogghetti
• Orange Posset from Culinary Cam
• Paloma Cocktail from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Panchmel Dal from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Paneer Pudinawale (Cottage Cheese in Mint Sauce) from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Peach and Carrot Streusel Muffins from A Messy Kitchen
• Piña Colada Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Ribbon Pakoda/Ola Pakoda from Sneha’s Recipe
• Southwestern Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Yogurt Bowl Popsicles from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties - this post!

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Elotes – Spicy Cheesy Grilled Corn

A great summer dish when sweet corn is at its peak, these elotes - spicy cheesy grilled corn - will be eaten with gusto. They are a tasty side for any barbecue.

A couple of summers ago, my favorite now-shuttered (RIP) food magazine, delicious. published a recipe for elotes which looked gorgeous! The creative team had pulled back the husks on whole ears of corn and braided them to use as handles while grilling – and for eating! 

I thought that was one of the cleverest things I’d seen in a very long time so you know I had to try it. The problem is, in Jersey, here in the Channel Islands, I had never seen corn on the cob still in the husk. It always arrived in our shops fully denuded. 

BUT, we took a trip to the mainland to visit friends and do some shopping and by some miracle, we came across a farmer’s market in London one Sunday and woo hoo! There was sweetcorn. Unshucked! It wasn’t cheap but, at that point, I didn’t care. 

I bought four, brought them home in the car on the ferry and made this dish for the first time. We ate the elotes with grilled local octopus and it was wonderful.

The very next summer, I finally found whole, intact ears of corn at a farm shop on the east side of the Island (we live in the west side) so I was delighted to make this again! Between the first and second time, I had managed to procured some Tajín, which added more flavorful elements to the finished dish. We enjoyed it with grilled duck breast. 

Hey, when you have the coals lit already, why not make full use of them? It just makes sense and my husband, the master griller, is always willing to do the needful.

 

Elotes – Spicy Cheesy Grilled Corn

If you can’t find Mexican crema, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt like I did or use sour cream. This recipe is adapted from an old one on Serious Eats.

Ingredients

½ cup or 110g finely crumbled Cotija or feta cheese

¼ cup or 60ml mayonnaise

¼ cup or 60ml Mexican crema or plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 clove garlic, finely grated 

4 ears corn on the cob with husks intact

To sprinkle on:

Tajín OR more cayenne and smoked paprika

Method

Combine ½ of the cheese, mayonnaise, crema or yogurt, cilantro, cayenne, smoked paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside. 

Steam the whole cobs, husks on, for five minutes. Gently pull the husks back and remove the silk. Braid the husks and secure the ends with string, if necessary.

Cover the braided husks with aluminum foil.

Light a chimney fire starter full of charcoal. This is the one we have. It’s a Weber.  When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour it out and spread the coals evenly over the coal grate. 

Place the corn directly over the hot coals and cook, rotating occasionally, until the ears are a little charred in spots on all sides.

Place the ears on a plate or cutting board and remove the foil.

Coat the corn with the cheese mixture, then sprinkle on the reserved cheese and some Tajín. Serve immediately. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with corn. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the corny links below.

• All the Summer's Darlings Salad from Culinary Cam
• Cachapas - Venezuelan Corn Pancakes from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Corn Patties / Corn Potato Chops from Sneha's Recipe
• Elotes - Spicy Cheesy Grilled Corn from Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Corn Relish Salad from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Roasted Corn and Sweet Pepper Chopped Salad with Tomatoes, Black Beans and Summer Squash from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Smoked Paprika Cornbread Croutons from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Southwestern Corn Salad with Chives from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Succotash Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join. 

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