Cooking with Canadian chef Chuck Hughes

By Sara Duck
November 10, 2017

Writer Sara Duck spends a morning in the LG kitchen with cool Canadian chef Chuck Hughes.

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Chef, television personality and restaurateur Chuck Hughes was recently in Toronto to showcase LG’s stellar, chef-calibre line of black stainless steel appliances. What’s interesting about these appliances is that they are fabricated from stainless steel, painted in a darker hue and treated with a protective coating to make them fingerprint- and smudge-resistant. Brilliant, right? Not to mention on trend as well, with the move towards darker and more dramatic kitchens predicted for 2018.

Chef Hughes took the opportunity to highlight the impressive features of the LG black stainless steel LSE5613BD electric range (which features a blue-coloured oven to better conduct heat) by whipping up a super quick and yummy chicken dish.

Of course, for a big-time chef, cooking food that is quick and easy isn’t necessarily top-of-mind or Michelin Star worthy. But, since having children of his own, Chef Hughes confides that he understands how quick, easy and healthy meals for families are a priority.

And he offers a solution.

“When it comes to cooking at home, it’s about using the right tools and knowing your kitchen gadgets well, to help quicken your meal prep,” says Chef Hughes.

He mentions tools such as the convection mode on your oven to speed up cooking time. Most people think of convection for use in baking, but Chef Hughes insists it’s a great way to cook food faster and it’s also more energy efficient. One of his favourite accoutrements in the kitchen is a cast iron braiser from Le Creuset – cookware that can easily move from stovetop to oven, creating one-pot meals.

True to his word, in less time than it takes me to dry my hair, Chef Hughes prepared a meal bursting with flavour, using only one pot. With a few trade secrets,
I guess we can all learn to be master chefs in our own kitchens.

LG Chicken dish 2_Fet

Chef Hughes’ Roasted Chicken with Fresh Tomato and Black Olives

1 bunch of fresh basil
1 bulb of garlic
1 handful of black olives
4 free-range chicken breasts
3 large, very ripe tomatoes (about 1.5 lbs.)
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 tsp. small capers
Olive oil
1-2 tsp. red pepper spread

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Use a cast iron roaster big enough to fit all the chicken in one layer.
Pick the basil leaves. Break the bulb of garlic into cloves, leaving them unpeeled. Destone the olives.
In the cast iron roaster, pile all the vegetables, garlic and herbs into the middle and drizzle with high quality olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the chicken on top of vegetables, drizzle with good quality olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven, turning the chicken after 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes check for doneness*. To finish, place under the broiler to brown the chicken.

*Checking for doneness: Ensure juices run clear or insert thermometer into the breast. It should register 165 F.

About Sara Duck

With more than a decade of experience in contributing to the world of media, Sara Duck has an expert eye for what's on trend in the world of home and décor.

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