Chicken supper in a dish with aïoli
Tumble all of the ingredients together in a bowl, season them well and toss them into a roasting tin for an irresistible one-dish supper
SERVES
8
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
60
MINUTES
Ingredients
2kg potatoes
225-275g medium onions, sliced into rings
8-10 large chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks
1 large head of garlic, separated into cloves
1-2 tbsp sweet or smoked paprika (or a mixture of both)
2 tbsp marjoram, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
flaky sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
3-4 large ripe tomatoes
dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste
dash of honey or sugar, to taste
3-4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
For the aïoli:
2 egg yolks
1-2 garlic cloves
pinch of English mustard or 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
2 tsp white wine vinegar
250ml oil
2 tsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunky wedges. Put them into a large bowl with the sliced onion rings, chicken pieces and garlic cloves and sprinkle over the paprika, marjoram and plenty of salt and pepper. Drizzle generously with the extra virgin olive oil and squeeze over the lemon juice. Toss thoroughly to coat the potatoes and the chicken in the flavourings. Spread in a single layer over a large roasting tray or a large gratin dish, approximately 35 x 40cm.
Roast for 15–20 minutes, then reduce the heat to a moderate 180°C for a further 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and crisp at the edges and the chicken skin, is sticky and irresistible. Check the chicken is cooked close to the bone; it may take a little longer.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place them in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, balsamic vinegar and honey (or sugar). Stir in the parsley. Sprinkle the tomato mixture over the hot chicken just as it comes out of the oven.
Accompany with the aïoli and a salad of organic leaves anointed with an extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice dressing.
To make the aïoli, put the egg yolks into a bowl with the garlic, mustard, salt and vinegar. Pour the oil(s) into a measuring jug. Taking a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other, carefully drip the oil onto the egg yolks, drop by drop, whisking at the same time. Within a minute, you will notice that the mixture is beginning to thicken. When this happens, you can add the oil a little faster — but don’t get too cheeky or it will suddenly curdle because the egg yolks can only absorb the oil at a certain pace.
If the aïoli curdles, it will suddenly become quite thin. If this happens you can quite easily remedy the situation by cracking another egg yolk into a clean bowl and whisking in the curdled aioli, half a teaspoon at a time.
Once all of the oil has been incorporated, beat in the parsley. Taste and add a little more seasoning and vinegar, if necessary.
