CHICKEN WITH PRUNES IN RED WINE

❤ SERVES 4

✔ This is inspired by the food of south west France, but it isn’t cooked in a traditional way.

I’ve made it into one of those dishes that, thankfully, looks after itself; it’s a very easy version of a classic. You can have it on the table in 40 minutes. Pretty good for a dish that has such depth. 

➥ Ingredients :

➤ FOR THE CHICKEN

• 8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, or a mixture of joints
• 2 large onions, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 300ml (½ pint) red wine
• 16 mi-cuit prunes, or soft good-quality prunes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tbsp crème de cassis (optional)

➤ FOR THE HERB CRUST

• good handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• salt flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coarse breadcrumbs (I prefer whole grain bread here)
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp brandy or Armagnac

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➥ Preparation Steps :

▶ Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Trim the skin on the chicken so it just covers them (you just want to get rid of those straggly bits). Slice each onion half into large halfmoon shaped wedges (about 1.5cm/¾in thick at their thickest). Heat the oil in an ovenproof dish that can hold all the chicken in a single layer. Season the chicken and brown it on all sides over a medium-high heat, just to colour it, not cook it through.

▶ Remove the chicken and pour away all but 1 tbsp of fat. Add the onions and cook for about four minutes, season and return the chicken, skin side up.

Make sure both chicken and the onions are quite moist with fat.

Put into the oven for 20 minutes.

▶ Heat the wine in a small pan and add the prunes. Simmer for two minutes, then add the garlic and the cassis (if using; I just like the extra fruity taste it imparts), then set aside.

▶ To make the herb crust, put the parsley, salt flakes (and some pepper) and the garlic into a mortar and pestle and pound together. Or just chop the parsley and garlic finely and season. In either case, mix to a rough paste with the breadcrumbs and olive oil, then add the brandy.

▶ When the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, turn the onions to colour on the other side, dot the prunes among them and pour in the wine.

Cook for 10 minutes, then spread the herb paste over the chicken. Cook for another 10 minutes. The wine should be reduced and the prunes plump.

MEXICAN CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN WITH PEPITA PESTO

♥ SERVES 4

✔ Use a big roasting tin to cook this – an old bashed one is great – and take it to the table.

This is casual eating at its very best, so I don’t bother to transfer the food to a platter.

Quinoa and a big salad of Romaine leaves and avocado are great on the side.

The pepita pesto stir the crumbled feta into it rather than sprinkling it on top if you prefer – is good with plain roast or griddled chicken as well. 

➔ Ingredients :

➤ FOR THE CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN

• 8 skin-on bone-in chicken joints or thighs
• 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of ½ orange
• salt and pepper
• 900g (2lb) well-flavoured pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into thick wedges
• 60g (2oz) feta cheese, finely crumbled, to serve

➤ FOR THE PESTO

• 20g (¾oz) pumpkin seeds
• 60g (2oz) sprigs of coriander, plus more to serve
• 20g (¾oz) cashew nuts
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• juice of 1½ limes
• 125ml (4fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely chopped, plus more to serve (optional) 

➔ Preparations Steps :

1. Put the chicken in a shallow dish. Mix together the sugar, thyme, oregano, spices, 4 tbsp of the regular oil, both the citrus juices and salt and pepper and pour this marinade over the chicken. Turn the chicken round to coat well, then cover and marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Bring it to room temperature before you cook it.

2. For the pesto, put the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan and place over a medium heat. Stir for a couple of minutes, or until they turn a shade darker and smell a little toasted (this method also works for spice seeds and nuts). Put in a food processor with all the other ingredients except the chilli. Blend to a rough purée. Scrape into a bowl, stir in the chilli and set aside until you want to use it.

3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a roasting tin or a large, broad, shallow ovenproof dish. Dot the pumpkin wedges around the chicken. Brush the pumpkin with the remaining 2 tbsp of regular oil and season. Put into the hot oven and cook for 40 minutes, basting every so often.

4. Check the flesh of the chicken to see whether it’s cooked or not: if you stick the tip of a sharp knife into the underside of a thick joint, the juice that runs out should be clear with no trace of pink. Serve with some pesto spooned over (offer the rest on the side) and scatter with crumbled feta and sprigs of coriander and some more chilli, if you want.