Fiona Hugues meets Lola

DIRTY SUMMER CHICKEN TRAYBAKE

This lovely dish has balmy summer days slapped all over it. Packed with flavours of the Mediterranean, it becomes unconsciously tender with a decent 24hr marinate in white wine & Dirty International Olive Brine the day before.
It’s the ultimate minimal effort dinner solution, throw it in the oven and enjoy drinks with your bubble while it does it’s thing. Serve with couscous, spuds or simply crusty bread and a leafy salad. Job done.
8 large or 10 small Free-range Chicken Breasts Skin-on
[or skin on chicken thigh fillets are great too].
1 cup pitted Prunes
½ cup Dried Apricots
2-3 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
½ cup Dirty International Olive Brine
1 cup White Wine
½ cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup Salted Capers rinsed
½ cup Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 cup Dark Runny Honey
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
¼ cup Fresh Oregano chopped
2 Bay Leaves
3/4 cup Large Green Spanish Olives
The night before..
Place the chicken pieces in a zip lock bag or sealed container. Add the wine, Dirty Brine, vinegar, garlic and dried fruit and place in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours.
Next day, ..
Fish out the fruit and as much of the garlic as you can & set the chicken & marinade aside.
Roughly chop the fruit & garlic and add sundried tomatoes and chop the lot until
well combined and relishy.
With a small sharp knife make a slit in the underside of each breast. Smear in a spoonful of the fruity mix and lay each portion skin side up in a single layer in an oven proof baking dish. [If using thigh fillets just spread on underside and roll together]. Continue until all the portions are stuffed with a little mixture. Pour over the reserved marinade and drizzle over the honey making sure you get some on each piece.
Sprinkle over fresh oregano leaves, tuck in the two bay leaves and drizzle everything with the olive oil.
Throw over the capers & green olives [and a few extra prunes and apricots if you want] then season generously
with salt & pepper.
Place in a preheated oven 190c fanbake for 30-40 mins until the chicken is dark & caramelised and the juices run clear.
Serve straight from the oven or place on a serving platter.
Accompany it with Israeli couscous, seasoned and dressed with a little lemon, olive oil & chopped Italian parley.
Add some salad leaves on the side and crusty bread to sop up the juices.