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.
SERVES 4
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
Method:
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 half-moon 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.
