Yotam Ottolenghi’s Slow-cooked Chicken with a Crisp Corn Crust

• Serves: 6 people
• Cost per person: £1.05
• Preparation time: TBC
• Cooking time: 2 hours

Shopping List

(prices correct at September 2018)

• Olive Oil – Aldi Primadonna Olive Oil, 1 litre – £2.79 (not added to price per person)
• Red Onions – ASDA Grower’s Selection Red Onions, 1kg – 68p
• Garlic – ASDA Grower’s Selection Garlic Loose – 20p
• Paprika – ASDA Smoked Paprika, 45g – 79p (not added to price per person)
• Chicken Thighs – Aldi Ashfield Farms British Chicken Thighs, 1kg – £1.65
• Passata – ASDA Passata, 500g – 35p
• Tomatoes – ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice, 400g – 29p
• Red Peppers – Melis Roasted Red Peppers, 760g – £1.76
• Chocolate – ASDA Smartprice Dark Chocolate Bar, 100g – 30p
• Coriander – ASDA Grower’s Selection Coriander, 25g – 55p
• Butter – ASDA Country Life British Spreadable, 750g – £3.75 (not added to price per person)
• Corn – Morrison’s Green Giant Creamed Style Corn, 419g – 95p
• Eggs – ASDA Smartprice Mixed Weight Eggs, 15 – £1.18

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 red onions, thinly sliced (500g)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp rose harissa (as this is expensive, I have not added this to the shopping list, and can possibly be replaced with chilli flakes)
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 850g chicken thighs (9-10 thighs)
• 200nl passata
• 400g quartered tomatoes
• 200g roasted red peppers
• 15g 70% dark chocolate
• 20g coriander, roughly chopped
• 70g unsalted butter, melted
• 500g corn kernels
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium high heat. Add the onions and fry for 8–9 minutes, stirring a few times, until caramelised and soft. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, harissa/chilli flakes, paprika, chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes,
   stirring frequently, then add the passata and tomatoes. Pour over 350ml of water, bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium heat, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring every once in a while.
2. Add the peppers and chocolate and continue to simmer for another 35–40 minutes, with the pan now uncovered, stirring frequently, until the sauce is getting thick and the chicken is falling apart. Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander. If you are serving the chicken as it is (as a stew without the batter), it’s ready to serve.
3. If you are making the corn topping, spoon the chicken into a ceramic baking dish – one with high sides that measures about 20 x 30cm – and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
5. Pour the butter into a blender with the corn, milk, egg yolks and ¾ teaspoon salt. Blitz for a few seconds, to form a rough paste, then spoon into a large bowl. Place the egg whites in a separate clean bowl and whisk to form firm peaks. Fold these gently into the runny corn mixture until just combined, then pour the mix evenly over the chicken.
6. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden-brown: keep an eye on it after 25 minutes to make sure the top is not taking on too much colour: you might need to cover it with tin foil for the final 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.