Chicken, Lentil & Rosemary One Pot Dinner

I think I discovered this Chicken with Lentils recipe in a Waitrose magazine, about 3 years ago. It's by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. I love it because it's really easy to cook, healthy, tastes amazing and is probably one of my favourite, savoury comfort foods. If those aren't enough reasons to make and eat it, the key ingredients are chicken thighs and red lentils, making it an ideal family meal for those on a budget. If, like me, you're lucky enough to have a rosemary bush in your garden, that's a further saving!

I make it in a large shallow, cast iron and enamelled, casserole dish that I bought from Sainsbury's in Cobham about 5 years ago. It's seriously heavy - a Le Creuset wannabe. It's just the right size to nicely fit in 8 chicken thighs.

I have modified my recipe slightly, as I like to have extra lentils and tasty liquid... I usually serve with some steamed green veg. If there's any left, the next day, it makes a marvellous soup by padding out the lentil "sauce" with extra chicken stock. If I have any sauerkrout on the go, I'll soak the lentils for a couple of hours in some water with a couple of tablespoons of brine from the krout. The probiotics in the brine helps make lentils more digestible. I also remove the flesh from the remaining chicken thighs and flake it into my soup before thoroughly reheating.

Chicken, Lentil  & Rosemary One Pot Dinner

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely diced.

4 garlic cloves, chopped.

2 good sized sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped

Small bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped.

250g red lentils, well rinsed.

700 ml chicken stock.

8 chicken thighs (with bones & skin).

1 table spoonsolive oil.

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method:

If possible, I try to make sure the lentils are soak for a couple of hours before cooking and I add a couple of tablespoons of liquid from one of my sauerkraut ferments to help make them more digestible. However, this isn't necessary - it's just a personal preference.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Use a large casserole dish that can be used on the hob and in the oven.

Heat the oil & gently fry the onion for about 6 minutes until soft. Add the garlic & rosemary.  Continue to cook gently for a another 3 minutes, then stir in the lentils and stock.

Remove any excess flaps of skin from the chicken thighs - these are very fatty.

Season the remaining skin on the chicken thighs and place skin side up in the casserole. Make sure the chicken skin to remains exposed above the liquid in the pan to allow it to turn beautifully brown and crispy. Bring up to a simmer, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked right through and the lentils are soft. If not, return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes and then try again.

You may need to skim off any excess fat from the surface. This really depends on the chicken - often there is no extra fat... other times I have to scoop off loads.

Once done, generously sprinkle with chopped parsley.

I've served this with steamed green veg, or an assortment of roasted vegetables. If you're not fussed about a carb overload, it's also great with some crusty bread.