Oven Chicken

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Elote-Style Chicken with Corn (Serves 4)

This is a take on the Mexican street-food preparation of sweetcorn grilled then basted with seasoned mayonnaise and dusted with freshly grated cheese, lime and chilli. Inspired by this finger-licking sweetcorn, Claire Thomson created this recipe for her cookbook, One Pan Chicken. With the addition of chicken, it really is finger-licking good and a recipe that is incredibly simple to prepare.

2-4 tablespoons of chipotle paste, to taste, plus more to serve if you like it extra hot

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 kg whole chicken thighs, legs or drumsticks

100g mayonnaise

200g feta, crumbled

4 corn on the cobs, halved

½ small bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped

30g fried corn kernels (I use ‘Love Corn’), crushed to a coarse powder

2 limes, cut into wedges

Sea salt and black pepper

Mix half the chipotle paste and all the garlic with the oil.
Mix this into the chicken cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it. Alternatively, forgo the marinating time and continue with the method below.
Mix the remaining chipotle into the mayonnaise along with half the crumbled feta.
Lightly brush the corn with a little oil and season, along with the chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange the corn and chicken in a baking tray and roast for 40-45 minutes in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Dollop the mayonnaise mixture all over the corn and chicken, along with more chipotle paste if you like, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese, the chopped coriander leaves and crushed fried corn kernels.
Serve with lime wedges.

One Pot Chicken with Potatoes, Herby Salsa & Roasted Garlic (Serves 4)

My son, Felix, discovered this recipe. When he cooked it for me I was so impressed by its fantastic flavours that I knew straight away that it would be a recipe that I would have to share with you. Not only is it delicious but incredibly simple to cook – a one pot roast which would be easy to cook any day of the week. This recipe is by Jamie Oliver who is renowned for his simple yet tasty dishes but I think he’s excelled himself with this one!

1 x 1.5kg whole free-range chicken

1kg potatoes

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley (30g), stalks and leaves seperated

1 bulb of garlic

40g blanched hazelnuts

Extra virgin olive oil

Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then brown in a large casserole pan on a high heat, removing it to a plate once golden all over (roughly 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop into 5cm chunks. Pour 700ml of water into the pan, then add the parsley stalks, garlic bulb (reserving 1 garlic clove for later) and the potatoes. Bring to the boil on the hob for 15 minutes, season lightly.
Place the chicken on top and place in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the reserved garlic clove, very finely chop the parsley leaves, and roughly chop the hazelnuts. Decant into a small serving bowl, stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3-4 tablespoons of water, and season to taste.
Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter, spoon over the herby salsa and serve the garlic bulb on the side, for squeezing over.

Bourbon & Marmalade-Glazed Drumsticks (Serves 4)

This is another fantastic recipe from Diana Henry. Wonderfully sticky and moreish, these drumsticks will become a family favourite. Don’t forget to suck the wonderful caramelised juices from the orange wedges! Serve simply with a watercress salad or ‘Brown Rice Salad’ (recipe here).

8 drumsticks

150g orange marmalade

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons bourbon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 red chillies, halved, deseeded and finely chopped

2 oranges (preferably thin-skinned), halved and cut into wedges (about 2cm thick)

Sea salt and black pepper

Make small slits in the drumsticks with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the marmalade with 1 teaspoon of the mustard. Set aside. In another bowl mix the remaining marmalade – squash it down with the back of a spoon to break it up – the remaining mustard, the bourbon, garlic and chillies. Put the chicken in to this and turn it over so that it gets well coated. Cover and put it in the fridges for a few hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
To cook the drumsticks, place them in a roasting tin with all the marinade and any juices, laying them in a single layer. Add the orange wedges. Turn the chicken and oranges over so that the oranges get coated in the marinade. Season everything with salt and pepper.
Roast in a pre-heated oven, 210’c fan, for 40-45 minutes until the drumsticks are cooked through, glossy and almost caramelised. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, brush the top of the drumsticks with the reserved marmalade and mustard mix.
To serve lift the oranges and drumsticks to a serving plate and spoon some of the juices over the top. They are delicious with a simple watercress salad or ‘Brown Rice Salad’ (recipe here).

St Tropez Chicken (Serves 4-6)

This is a recipe from one of Nigella Lawson’s older cookbooks, ‘Feast’. It’s a celebration of summer herbs – the taste of the South of France. So, even if the sun isn’t shining you at least have the flavour of it!.. It’s an easy recipe , just remember to marinate it the day before cooking. Simply serve with a good, green salad (here)and some Italian-style roasted potatoes (here)

1 large chicken, jointed into 10 pieces

Juice of 1 lemon

60ml olive oil

60g honey

150ml rose wine

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

2 teaspoons dried lavender

Put the jointed chicken into a large freezer bag. Combine the lemon juice, oil, honey, wine, crushed garlic and herbs, stirring to dissolve the honey. Pour this mixture into the bag, seal and refrigerate overnight or for up to two days.
Place the chicken, skin-side up, into a roasting tin with its marinade, and cover with foil. Cook in a preheated oven, 170’c fan, for two hours, then remove the foil and turn up the heat to 200’c. Cook for another 15 to 25 minutes or until the skin of the chicken is bronzed. Keep an eye on it, though, as the honey can burn.
Remove the chicken from the tin and place on a warmed plate. Spoon off any excess fat from the cooking juices then pour into a small saucepan and place over a medium heat, stirring to amalgamate the juices, adding a little water if needed, to make a glossy, golden-brown gravy.

Chicken with Lentils and Rosemary (Serves 4)

This is a wonderfully easy one-pot supper from Hugh Fernley- Whittingstall’s cookbook, ‘Light & Easy’. It just needs 15 minutes prep then an hour in the oven in which you can relax!..

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary

200g red lentils, well rinsed

500ml chicken or veg stock

8 skin-on chicken thighs (or 1 medium chicken, jointed into 6-8 pieces)

Sea salt and black pepper

Flat leaf parsley, chopped to serve

Place a casserole dish over a medium-low heat, add the oil, then fry the onion, stirring regularly until it begins to soften – about 6-8 minutes.
Add the garlic, rosemary, and some salt and pepper. Cook gently for a further 5 minutes, then stir in the lentils and stock.
Season the chicken thighs and place, skin side up, in the casserole. You want most of the chicken skin to remain exposed above the liquid so that it browns.
Bring to a simmer on the hob then transfer to a preheated oven, 180’c fan. Bake for 1 hour, then check if the chicken is cooked right through and that the lentils are soft, if not return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes. Skim of any excess fat from the surface.
Add more salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Then serve as it is or with some steamed broccoli or spring greens on the side.

Chicken with Pineapple and Nudja (Serves 4)

What a wonderful combination of flavours there are in this recipe – sweet and savoury with a hint of spice! The recipe is from Ixta Belfrage’s cookbook ‘Mezcla’ in which she draws inspiration from her childhood which was spent in Mexico, Italy and Brazil, it’s a truly multicultural flavoured book – fantastic!

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a knife

1 onion, halved and very thinly sliced

½ large, extra ripe pineapple, peeled (300g)

2 oranges, squeezed to get 100g juice

100g chicken stock

2 tablespoons double cream

5g fresh coriander

1 lime cut into wedges

For the Nudja and Chipotle paste:

50g nudja paste/ spread

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons tomato puree

½ teaspoon chipotle flakes

½ teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon fine salt

About 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Put all the ingredients for the nudja and chipotle paste in a large bowl and mix together. Add the chicken, garlic and three-quarters of the sliced onion (save the rest to serve) and mix well so that everything is coated evenly. Tip the chicken, onions and garlic into a roasting tin, spreading out the chicken, skin side up on top of the onions and garlic (you will need the remnants of the paste in the bowl for the pineapple).
Cut the pineapple into 4 rounds and cut each round into quarters, removing the hard core (you should have about 300g). Add the pineapple to the bowl with the remnants of the paste, mix to coat with whatever is left in the bowl then add to the chicken.
Pour the orange juice around the chicken (don’t get the skin wet – you want it to crisp up!). Bake in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the stock into the pan around the chicken (again don’t get the skin wet!). Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and at the skin is brown and crispy. Now, if you have a blowtorch, you can char the pineapple a little (but no worries if not – it will still taste delicious!).
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle the cream into the sauce.
Toss the coriander with the remaining sliced onion and a little salt and olive oil and arrange on top. Serve straight from the pan with lime wedges alongside.

Chicken with Miso, Ginger and Lime (Serves 6)

As the photo suggests, this recipe is a lovely sticky, unctuous affair. Taken from Ottolenghi’s cookbook ‘Simple’, it’s super easy all it needs is a good green salad and some rice – simple!..

6 Chicken legs (skin and bone in), skin scored a few times

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

2½ tablespoons mirin

2½ tablespoons maple syrup

2½ tablespoons soy sauce

80g white miso

4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (30g)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lime, skin shaved into fine strips then juiced

40g coriander stems cut into 6cm lengths (reserve the leaves for a garnish)

2 red chillies, sliced in half lengthways and deseeded

10 spring onions, 8 sliced in half lengthways and 2 finely chopped (to serve)

Sea salt

Place the chicken legs in a large bowl with the oil and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Mix together.
Place a large frying pan on a medium/high heat. Once hot add half the chicken legs, skin side down and sear for 4-5 minutes. Then remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining chicken, discarding the fat as you go, and set aside.
Place the mirin, maple syrup, soy sauce, miso, ginger, garlic, lime strips and juice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the chicken and stir well so that everything is coated.
Put the coriander stems, chillies and 8 halved spring onions in to a high-sided baking dish and place the chicken on top, skin side up (along with any residue dressing). Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and turn the chicken legs over (skin side down) and return to the oven for 30 minutes uncovered, turning the legs back over halfway through (skin side up) and basting a couple of times. The chicken will be golden brown, sticky and tender and the chillies and spring onions will be soft.
To serve, place a chicken leg on each plate and surround it with coriander, chilli and halved spring onions. Finally, drizzle the with sauce and sprinkle over the finely sliced spring onions and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves. Serve with sticky white rice and a good green salad.

Chicken with Sweet Tomatoes (Serves 4)

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, ‘Jamies’s Dinners’, which came out in 2004 and I have cooked it on many occasions since then. Although it may not be an authentic Italian recipe, I’m sure that Oliver took inspiration from Italy for this dish, it’s simply chicken legs slow-cooked on a bed of tomatoes with handfuls of basil and garlic. The skin of the chicken ends up beautifully crispy whilst the meat literally falls off the bone, meanwhile the slow roasted tomatoes create a fabulous broth – it’s all delicious! I like to add some new potatoes to the pot or you could add cannellini beans instead – either way it makes a great ‘one-pot supper’!

4 chicken legs

A big bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped

1 big handful of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1 big handful of ripe plum tomatoes, quartered

1 whole bulb of garlic, broken up into cloves, unpeeled

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

Olive oil

2 handfuls of new potatoes halved or 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained (optional – see above)

Sea salt and black pepper

Season the chicken pieces and put them in a casserole in on single layer. Add the basil leaves and chopped stalks, then the tomatoes. Scatter over the garlic cloves and the chopped chilli and drizzle with some olive oil (at this point you can also add the new potatoes or cannellini beans if you are using). Mix everything around, tucking the tomatoes under the chicken. Make sure that the chicken legs are skin side up.
Place in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 1½ hours, turning the tomatoes halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and golden.
Serve, making sure you squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of the skins!

Guinea Fowl with Cabbage and Grapes (Serves 4)

This recipe is a French take on sweet and sour – the cabbage is cooked with sugar and vinegar whilst the guinea fowl is roasted with sweet grapes. Not only is it delicious but very easy to make, the cabbage is cooked on the stove whilst the guinea fowl roasts for about 40 minutes. You could of course make this recipe with chicken joints, but I do think that guinea fowl gives the dish a little more depth, as it has a slightly gamey flavour. Serve with boiled new potatoes.

2 guinea fowls, each jointed into 4 pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

60g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 large Savoy cabbage

2 tablespoons caster sugar

50ml white wine vinegar

350ml chicken stock

Small bunch of sweet, seedless grapes (I like ‘Sable black grapes’)

Few sprigs fresh thyme

Sea salt and black pepper

Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove and discard the core, then shred the leaves.
Put half the oil and 30g of the butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the chopped onion, stir for 5-8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cabbage, half the sugar and all of the vinegar, stir and season. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, over a moderate heat. Reserve in the pan.
Meanwhile, put the rest of the oil and 15g of the butter in a large frying pan, over a medium to high heat. Add half the guinea fowl pieces and fry for about 5 minutes until coloured, turn over, season and sprinkle with half the remaining sugar, continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a roasting tin. Repeat with the remaining guinea fowl.
Pour the stock into the frying pan. Turn up the heat, bring to the boil, stirring. Add the remaining butter, boil for another minute then pour over the guinea fowl and scatter over the grapes and thyme. Roast in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 35-40 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door and allow the guinea fowl to settle whilst you reheat the cabbage.
Serve the joints of guinea fowl and their juices on a bed of cabbage with the grapes scattered over.

Chorizo and Chilli Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a recipe which my friend introduced me to, it’s her ‘old classic’ family recipe, one which is good enough to be served to both family and friends; it’s been known to turn up on her ‘dinner-party table’…

8 chicken thighs

1 tablespoon olive oil

225g chorizo, sliced (about thickness of a pound coin)

400g tinned tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 red onions, cut into wedges

2 red peppers, roughly diced

2 handfuls whole black olives

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken, skin-side down until browned, then turn over and quickly brown the underside. Remove from the pan and place in a roasting tin.
Add the chorizo slices to the frying pan, fry for about 5 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes along with the tomato paste, chilli flakes, Worcestershire sauce and onion wedges. Season with salt and pepper, stir and bring to the boil.
Pour over the chicken and gently mix, making sure that the chicken thighs are left skin-side up. Bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently stir through the diced red peppers and black olives, then return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Finally, stir through the parsley before serving.

Marmalade-Roasted Chicken Legs & Squash (Serves 4)

Every cold, blustery day needs this recipe! It’s comfort food at its best, the chicken meat becomes sticky and unctuous, and teamed with the soft, slightly sweet roasted butternut squash it is simply perfect. I found this recipe in Florence Knight’s cookbook ‘One’, it’s become a family favourite!

800g Butternut squash

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes

2 tablespoons chicken stock (or water)

100g Muscovado sugar (plus a sprinkle)

4 chicken legs, skin on

2 tablespoons thick-cut marmalade

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

2 garlic cloves

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

Natural yogurt to serve

First of all, prepare the butternut squash by cutting it in half, peeling it, removing the seeds, and cutting it into even-sized slices – roughly the thickness of a pound coin. Place them in a roasting tray with the coriander seeds, dried chilli flakes, chicken stock, a good pinch of salt and black pepper, a glug of olive oil and a sprinkle of the sugar.
In a separate roasting tray, rub the chicken legs with the rest of the sugar, the marmalade, ketchup and sunflower oil. Bash the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife, remove the skin and fold through the sticky chicken along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place both roasting tins in a preheated oven, 200’c fan. Glaze the chicken every 10 minutes. After 30-40 minutes remove the chicken, cover with foil and leave to rest whilst the butternut squash finishes cooking for about another five minutes.
Once the butternut squash is cooked through and caramelised, scoop a third of it into a bowl, add a splash of olive oil and use a fork to roughly mash it. Fold it back through the remaining caramelised pieces.
Spoon portions of the butternut squash onto plates, topping each with a sticky chicken leg and a spoonful of tart, natural yoghurt.

Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey (Serves 4)

This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi’s first book, ‘Ottolenghi: the Cookbook’. As he says himself, ‘it is so easy to make, yet looks stunning and has the most delicate and exotic combination of flavours (rosewater, saffron and cinnamon)’. It really is a winning dish and is one of my family favourites! You can either make it with a whole chicken or, as I prefer, with chicken thighs. Serve with rice or couscous.

1 large chicken divided into quarters or 8 chicken thighs

2 onions, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A generous pinch of saffron strands

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons cold water

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper

100g unskinned hazelnuts

70g honey

2 tablespoons rosewater

2 spring onions, roughly chopped

In a large bowl mix the chicken pieces with the onions, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge.
Spread the hazelnuts out on an oven tray and roast in a preheated oven, 190’c, for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Chop roughly and set aside.
Transfer the chicken and marinade to a roasting tray. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
While the chicken is roasting mix the honey, rosewater and nuts together to make a rough paste.
Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon a generous amount of the nut paste onto each piece and spread it to cover. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the nuts are golden brown.
Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped spring onions.

Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala (Serves 4)

I adore cooking with Marsala wine, both in savoury and sweet dishes, as it lends a wonderful musky sweetness without being overpowering. In this recipe from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook ‘At My Table’, it is combined with grapes and chicken to make a very elegant dish. In the photo above you can see that I used chicken supremes, which are chicken breasts with the bone still attached, they are particularly plump and juicy, however, this recipe would work equally well with regular skin-on chicken breasts (perhaps reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes if they are smaller). This dish is delicious served simply with steamed new potatoes.

120ml Marsala wine

120ml Chicken stock

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 Chicken supremes or chicken breasts with skin-on (see note above)

40 or so Seedless red grapes

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for decoration

Mix the Marsala, chicken stock and mustard together.
Heat the oil in a casserole dish or deep oven-proof frying pan, fry the chicken supremes, skin-side down for about 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Turn the chicken skin-side up and add the Marsala mixture to the pan, let it bubble up, then add the grapes and sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then transfer to a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for about 20 minutes, until the chicken skin is bronzed and crisp and the meat is cooked through.
Transfer the chicken and grapes to a serving plate. Place the pan with the cooking juices over a high heat and allow them to bubble away for a few minutes until they are reduced and thickened.
To serve, pour the sauce around the chicken (avoiding the crisped skin) and scatter over some thyme sprigs.

Chicken Open-Pot Roast (Serves 4)

This is one of those recipes that I turn to time and time again when I want a quick, hands-free supper. You don’t need any accompaniments – it’s all in the pot! By keeping the lid off the pot the skin of the chicken becomes beautifully crisp and golden. This recipe is taken from Rachel Allen’s cookbook ‘Easy Meals’!

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 chicken jointed or 6-8 chicken thighs with skin

450g new potatoes, unpeeled, halved if large

2 small leeks or 1 large leek, trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths

250ml chicken stock

1 sprig of tarragon, plus 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Sea salt and black pepper

Put the olive oil in a casserole over a high heat, then season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes or so until a deep golden brown (you may find it easier to do this in batches). Flip over and quickly sear the underside before removing to a plate.
Add the potatoes and leeks to the casserole, stir around in the hot fat for a couple of minutes before returning the chicken, skin side up.
Pour in the stock and add the sprig of tarragon. Bring to the boil, then place the casserole, uncovered, in a preheated oven, 200’c fan. Cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
Remove from the oven and stir in the chopped tarragon, Dijon mustard and lemon juice (to taste) and serve immediately.

Chicken, Cherries & Chicory (Serve 4)

This is a lovely easy, very tasty bake from Rosie Birkett’s cookbook ‘The Joyful Cook’. The cherries are a wonderful sweet addition and are complemented by the bitterness of the chicory (you could also use radicchio). It is a recipe which works year round as you can use imported cherries, as by cooking them you bring out their sweetness, alternatively you could substitute them for another fruit such as plums…Serve with green or runner beans and rice or potatoes.

4 teaspoons sea salt flakes

2 tablespoons caster sugar

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bay leaves

15g butter

4 heads of chicory (preferably red), halved lengthways

6 shallots, skin on, halved

1 lemon, halved

150ml vermouth or dry white wine

300ml hot water

150g cherries (there is no need to stone them – just warn your guests!)

Handful fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

First of all, a few hours before cooking, grind the salt, sugar and fennel seeds using a pestle and mortar, then rub this ground ‘cure’ mixture on the flesh, but not the skin of the chicken. Chill in the fridge (you could leave it overnight) and remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. If pushed for time just leave it in the rub whilst you prepare everything else for the dish.
Gently rinse the cure from the chicken and dry it well with kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in frying pan over a medium heat. Brown the chicken, skin side down for about 8-10 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place skin side up in a large roasting tin on top of the bay leaves. Season with black pepper.
Using the same frying pan with the fat from the chicken, add the butter and melt over a medium heat. Place the chicory, shallots and lemon halves, cut side down in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until caramelised and softening on their cut sides. Transfer these to the roasting tray cut side up, squeezing the lemon over the chicory and throwing in the spent lemon halves.
Turn up the heat under the frying pan and add the vermouth (or wine), scraping up any of the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by half, then pour into the roasting tray – avoiding the chicken as you want it to remain crisp.
Finally pour in the hot water (again avoiding the chicken), cover the roasting tin with foil and place in a preheated oven, 120’c fan, for 20 minutes then take off the foil and add the cherries and chopped tarragon.
Turn up the oven to 180’c fan, return the tin to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked, the skin is golden and there are delicious juices in the tray.
Serve the chicken on plates alongside the wonderful cherries, chicory and shallots with the juices spooned over.

Chicken, Leek and Tarragon Gratin (Serves 3-4)

Such a good way to use up leftover cooked chicken but so delicious that it’s worth cooking a couple of chicken breasts to simply make it! Serve with peas or green beans.

*if you haven’t any leftover chicken simply add 2 chicken breasts to a pan of boiling water, remove from the heat and leave to poach for about 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

800g potatoes (such as maris piper)

400g leeks

4 spring onions

30g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon plain flour (gluten free if required)

200ml white wine

400ml milk

400g cooked chicken (see note above)

A large bunch of fresh tarragon, leaves chopped

Peel and boil the potatoes, drain and allow to cool before thinly slicing.
Quarter the leeks lengthways, then hold them together and slice them across into small pieces. Chop the spring onions.
Melt the butter with a tablespoon of oil in a deep frying pan, stir in the leeks and spring onions, cook over a medium heat until soft and patched with gold. Sprinkle over the flour, stirring until it has been absorbed, increase the heat a little and add the wine, stirring until thick, then stir in the milk. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Tear the chicken into bite-size pieces and stir through the leek sauce along with the chopped tarragon. Pour into a baking dish and arrange the sliced potatoes , overlapping, over the top. Brush with olive oil.
Bake in the oven, 200’c fan, for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes a golden and crisp.

Easy Baked Tarragon Chicken (Serves 4)

Tarragon is my all-time favourite herb, and the marriage between this herb and chicken is, in my opinion, heaven! This recipe is ideal midweek; once the chicken is browned on the stove you just have to cook it in the oven for 30 minutes and then finish off the gravy – how easy it that?!…You can easily leave out the cream if you prefer a lighter sauce. I like to serve this with Braised Baby Gem Lettuce – recipe here.

For the Chicken:

50g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Small chicken jointed or 8 chicken thighs

2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely sliced

120ml white wine

Several sprigs of tarragon

For the gravy:

20g butter

Handful of tarragon leaves and parsley, chopped

Sprig of thyme (optional)

150ml double cream (optional)

Melt the butter with the oil in a casserole dish, then brown the chicken on all sides.
Add the onions, wine and tarragon to the dish, stir and bring to a gentle simmer, cover and place in a preheated oven, 210’c fan. Cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving dish and set aside to rest.
Meanwhile make the gravy. Put the pan with the chicken juices and onion on the hob, remove the tarragon sprigs, then stir in the butter and the chopped herbs and sprig of thyme, mixing well. Remove from the heat and, if using, stir in the double cream.
To serve, pour the gravy over the chicken pieces.

Lemon Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a lovely light chicken dish, subtly flavoured with lemon. You can either use a jointed chicken or simply chicken thighs for this recipe. This chicken is delicious served on a bed of creamy garlic mashed potato (recipe here), however you could, of course, serve it with a potato dish of your choice. The recipe, which I have slightly tweaked to make it an easier midweek option, is from the ‘Market Kitchen Cookbook’, a book which was published over 10 years ago, but still has a couple of my family’s favourites.

1 chicken jointed into 8 pieces or 8 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

25g butter

1 tablespoon flour (gluten free if required)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons Marsala wine (or sherry)

200ml chicken stock

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 tablespoons double cream

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Strips of lemon zest (for decoration – optional)

Season the chicken generously with salt. Add the oil to a casserole and fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown. Remove from the casserole and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
Melt the butter in the casserole, then stir in the flour, allow to cook out a little then add the mustard. Pour in the marsala wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate before stirring in the stock, lemon juice and a good grinding of black pepper. Keep stirring until smooth.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and return the chicken pieces, skin side up, to the casserole (the pan should be wide and shallow enough so that the sauce does not cover the chicken). Cook, uncovered, in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick.
Remove the chicken from the casserole, add the cream and parsley to the sauce, and gently reheat.
Serve the chicken sprinkled with the lemon zest with the sauce on the side. This dish is delicious with ‘Creamy Garlic Mashed Potato’ and ‘Fine Green Beans with Almonds’ (recipes here).

Chicken & Pea Traybake (Serves 4)

This is a great, quick midweek meal, and because it is so easy to cook I am also sharing it on my MenuMistress @Uni page. I found this recipe in Nigella Lawson’s ‘At My Table’ cookbook, a great book full of tasty recipes which are also very straight forward in that very special ‘Nigella’ way. The peas and leeks are cooked underneath the chicken thighs, so soak up all their delicious juices while the leeks become beautifully caramelised. The original recipe called for dill, however, I prefer tarragon so I use this, but you could, of course, use dill if you prefer!

8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in

900g frozen petit pois

400g leeks, cut into 3cm slices

2 fat cloves garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons dry white vermouth or white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

Small bunch of tarragon, roughly chopped (or dill – see note above)

Place the peas in large roasting pan, large enough to give space between the thighs. Add the leeks, garlic, vermouth (or wine), 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and most of the tarragon. Mix everything together.
Arrange the chicken thighs on top, skin side up, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and give the peas a stir, so that any on top are mixed into the liquid and are not drying out too much. Don’t worry about the leeks, as you want the bits peeking out to caramelise.
Put back in the oven for a further 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with a golden and crisp skin.
Scatter over the remaining tarragon and serve with some simply steamed new potatoes!

Lemon and Chilli Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a recipe that I came across years ago in a magazine. Despite having chilli in it, it is not a spicy dish, as there is also honey in the marinade; I use orange blossom honey as it has a delicate floral flavour, great for a summer dish, but you could use any runny honey. The key to this dish is remembering to marinate it 24hours beforehand as it really makes a difference, other than that this dish sorts itself out – just pop it in the oven and serve with a large salad (and if you are really hungry some potatoes or rice).

8 chicken thighs

4 lemons

12 unskinned garlic cloves

2 small red chillies, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons of orange blossom honey (see note above)

4 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Halve the lemons and squeeze out the juice, reserving the squeezed lemon halves.
Skin and crush two of the garlic cloves, mix them with the lemon juice, chillies, the honey and seasoning. Stir well and pour over the chicken, pack the lemon halves around the chicken. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight (see note above), turning once or twice.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, turn the chicken pieces skin side up and scatter over the remaining garlic cloves(unskinned), keep the lemons packed around the chicken pieces.
Place in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for about 45mins until cooked through and well browned.
Scatter over the parsley; serve with the lovely pan juices and the garlic cloves which will now be beautifully soft, ready to be popped out of their skins! (you can use the lemon halves for decoration).

Share this:

Share this: