Ottolenghi's autumn chicken bake
It’s officially the first week of autumn - and as the seasons change, so does the way we eat. Well, this is how Ottolenghi does autumn, with a rich, flavoursome chicken dish and a crisp corn crust.
Yotam says: This is a wonderful meal on an autumn day, served with a crisp green salad. The slow cooked chicken is packed full of flavour and the crust – gluten free, rich and corny – makes for a welcome (and lighter) change to a heavier mash.
You can make the chicken well in advance if you want to get ahead, it keeps in the fridge for up to three days or can be frozen for one month. You want it to go into the oven defrosted though, so it will need thawing out of the freezer. The batter needs to be made fresh and spooned on top of the chicken just before it gets baked, but then it can then just go back in the oven. It can also be baked a few hours in advance – just warm through for 10 minutes, covered in foil, before serving.
I love the combination of the chicken and the corn, but the chicken also works well as it is, served on top of rice, in a wrap or with a buttery jacket potato.
Serves: 6Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil3 red onions, thinly sliced (500g)2 garlic cloves, crushed3 tbsp rose harissa2 tsp sweet smoked paprika850g skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 9-10 thighs)200ml passata5 large tomatoes, quartered (400g)200g jarred roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 2cm thick rounds15g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)20g fresh coriander, roughly choppedSalt and black pepper
For the sweetcorn batter:
70g unsalted butter, melted500g corn kernels, fresh, or frozen and defrosted (shaved corn kernels from 4 large corn cobs if starting from fresh)3 tbsp whole milk3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
Method
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium high heat. Add the onions and fry or 8-9 minutes, stirring a few times, until caramelised and soft. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, harissa, paprika, chicken, 1 tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the passata and tomatoes.
Pour over 350ml water, bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium heat, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring every once in a while.
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 (or freeze, once it’s come to room temperature) at this stage.
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.
Preheat the oven to 190C / 180C fan. Pour the batter into a blender with the corn, milk, egg yolks and ¾ tsp salt. Blitz for 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.
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.