Monday, April 06, 2009

Chicken with aubergines, lemon and garlic

My most recent chicken saute recipes (here and here) have involved a certain amount of fussing: do you cover the pot or not? If you leave it uncovered, will the chicken, and other ingredients, cook through and tenderise?

It need not be that complicated. You do not even need to brown the chicken pieces first.

4 chicken thighs, 4 drumsticks
2tbsp olive oil
2 aubergines, cubed
1 head garlic - 1 clove peeled and chopped, the rest left whole
1 lemon, quartered
200ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt

Mix the ingredients in a roasting tin, and bake at gas mark 6/200C for an hour. Stir from time to time, and allow the thighs to sit skin side up for a while, so that the skin browns. Add more stock, depending on how much sauce you want and on whether the contents of the tin threaten to dry out.

Chicken legs will take this blast of heat without becoming tough. If you have breasts as well, add them about 25 minutes before the end of cooking.

You could add minced chillis to the dish, stirring them in at the end. Or (mixed with the stock at the start of cooking) harissa. Serve with rice or couscous.

10 comments:

pablopatito said...

Fantastic recipe! I made this last night and it was superb and unbelievably simple.

Nicholas Clee said...

That's good to hear! I want to explore this idea further - shall report back.

Robin said...

I'm going to cook this tonight - many thanks. I was considering making an Asian inspired dish with five spice and lots of salty sauce but this sounds easy and altogether more refreshing after a hard day's work.

Nicholas Clee said...

Hope it went well, Robin.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful combination of flavours. This is definitely a keeper and a recipe I shall return to I am sure.

We sat out on our back deck just now on a warm spring evening in Auckland, NZ and this meal was just perfect when accompanied by a crisp Marlborough Savignon Blanc.

Thank you.

Nicholas Clee said...

How nice to hear. Thank you. I envoy you your warm spring evening on the deck: it's dark and wet here.

Alex said...

Thanks for this - we had it last night, and it was very good! I added a teaspoon of harissa; think next time I'll make it two. (I used Sainsbury's own brand, which isn't as hot as some I've had...)
Just off to try that ricotta pudding you posted about the other day!
Thanks again - Alex

Nicholas Clee said...

The brand I use, and like, is Le Phare du Cap Bon. It is pungent when raw, but mellows as it cooks.

Hope you like the pudding.

RunningNV said...

Fantastic recipe - I added crumbled Feta 10 minutes before the end, which melted in to the stock to make a super creamy sauce.

Nicholas Clee said...

That does sound good - and in keeping with the Greek-ish profile of the dish.