Name: First Chicken and Carrot Cream
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 42 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 80g chicken breast, trimmed of fat and skin; 1 medium carrot, peeled; 1 small potato, peeled; Unsalted water or homemade unsalted chicken stock, enough to cover; 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Ingredients

80g chicken breast, trimmed of fat and skin
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 small potato, peeled
Unsalted water or homemade unsalted chicken stock, enough to cover
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Method

Cut the chicken breast into small, even cubes.
Chop the carrot and potato into pieces of a similar size.
Put the chicken, carrot and potato into a small pan and cover with unsalted water or stock.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink remaining and the vegetables are soft enough to crush with a fork.
Drain, keeping a little of the cooking liquid aside.
Blend the chicken and vegetables together, adding splashes of the reserved liquid until you reach a smooth, spoonable cream.
Stir in the EVOO once off the heat. Check the temperature before serving.

Age adaptations

6-8 months

Blend fully smooth with no lumps or fibrous strands of chicken. Loosen with extra cooking liquid so it drops easily from a spoon.

9-12 months

Mash rather than blend: shred the chicken finely with two forks and mash the vegetables, leaving soft small lumps. Cooked carrot for self-feeding should be cut into finger-length strips, never round coins.

12+ months

Serve as part of the family meal: dice the chicken into small, soft pieces and the vegetables into soft cubes, all easily squashed between two fingers.

Storage

Cool promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days, or freeze in small portions for up to 1 month. Label with the date. Reheat until piping hot throughout, then cool to a safe eating temperature before serving. Do not refreeze once reheated.

For the family

Multiply the chicken, carrot and potato quantities, season the adult portion with salt and black pepper after setting the baby's share aside, and finish with a swirl of EVOO or grated Parmesan. Serve over pasta or with crusty bread for the rest of the table.

Safety notes

No salt, sugar or stock cubes added at any stage.
Cook the chicken fully through; there should be no pink meat or pink juices.
Carrot is a cylindrical choking hazard: never serve as raw or cooked coins. Cut lengthwise into strips first, then into smaller pieces, per the ministry's choking-prevention table.
Potato should be cooked until it yields easily to light pressure.
Serve seated upright at the table, supervised, without screens or distractions.

First Chicken and Carrot Cream