Tom Holland has revealed his favourite classic 60s dinner while appearing on the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. The actor, who plays Telemachus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, told hosts about Chicken Véronique, a creamy shredded chicken dish topped with roasted grapes. Holland, who stars in the film alongside his wife Zendaya as Athena, recorded the episode the day after England faced Mexico in the World Cup.
Health benefits of chicken
According to health experts at WebMD, the chicken in the dish could provide real benefits. Protein-rich foods like chicken can support weight management and, as a result, reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. "Research suggests that 25-30 grams of protein per meal can help us feel more full," the experts explain. They add: "Protein-rich meals can make us feel fuller despite us eating less, which helps to promote better weight management. Healthier weight leads to improvements in risk factors for heart problems, such as high triglyceride levels and high blood pressure."
WebMD also notes that chicken is a lean protein offering amino acids needed to build and maintain muscle, which becomes more important as we age. A higher-protein diet can support bone density, helping to keep muscles strong and bones healthier and lowering the risk of injuries and conditions such as osteoporosis.
Of course, a dish containing a healthy ingredient or two does not automatically make the whole meal healthy, and experts stress the importance of a balanced diet.
A family favourite
During the podcast, Holland's brother Sam, a chef, appeared in a pre-recorded video to explain the dish's significance. Sam said that their mum and Granny Tess "cooked Chicken Véronique and an apple crumble on a beach in Thailand for the cast and crew of Impossible". Fifteen years on, it remains "our favourite family meal", especially after Tom has a "long stint away" filming, and Sam said he loves it for many "sentimental reasons".
Tom echoed the memory, recalling his first ever film in Thailand. "We were making a movie in Thailand. It was my first ever film. It was a real family," he said. "The crew were such lovely people, and we would always go down to this beach called Memories Beach. Cast and crew would be down there every weekend - all weekend." He described how his grandmother roasted two chickens in her oven at her house in Thailand, then drove "through the jungle" down a 25-minute dirt road to the beach. "She made Chicken Véronique. It's like a kind of creamy shredded chicken dish, but then you peel and roast the grapes. And then you shred the potatoes. It's absolutely delicious." He added: "So now if I've ever been away and I come home to the family house for dinner, that's always what we always have."
A classic 60s dish
Co-host Angela Hartnett recognised the dish's heritage, replying: "Now you've mentioned it's a really old, classic French dish. And one that you'd have had in the '60s."
Spicy pork and pineapple skewers recipe
Although the pair did not cook Chicken Véronique on the show, Holland described another dish as a "treat" - spicy pork and pineapple skewers with Greek salad. Here is the full recipe.
Ingredients
- 500g pack British diced pork shoulder
- ½ supersweet medium pineapple
- Vegetable oil, for griddling
- 1 satsuma, halved
- 2 salad onions, thinly sliced
For the marinade:
- 1 satsuma, juice
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp Cooks' Ingredients Turkish Pepper Flakes
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Soak 8 wooden skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients with a few cracks of black pepper. Add the pork (halving any large pieces) and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.
- Peel, core and cut the pineapple into 24 chunks. Thread 3-4 pieces of pork and 3 pieces of pineapple alternately onto each skewer, discarding any remaining marinade.
- Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat, brush lightly with oil, then cook half the skewers for 12-15 minutes, turning twice, until the pork is cooked through with no pink meat, juices that run clear, and is charred in places. Keep hot while cooking the second batch.
- Char the satsuma halves, cut-side down, on the hot pan. Serve the skewers scattered with salad onions and with the warm satsuma juice squeezed over at the table. Perfect with a leafy salad on the side, if liked.
Angela Hartnett serves this recipe with a village Greek salad, available on the Waitrose website.
