Braised Chicken with Prunes, Olives and Lemon, Buttery Cauliflower Mash and Garlicky Wintery Greens. ⁠

METHOD CHICKEN

Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and generously season it with salt. Let it sit for about half an hour, leaving it on the bench to come to room temperature while the salt penetrates.

Put a large heavy-based, cast-iron pat on the stove and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once heated, put the chicken, skin-side down, into the pan to brown. When the skin is golden, flip it over to give the underside some colour. Once golden all over, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Turn the heat down to low, add another tablespoon of olive oil and add in your sliced onion and garlic with a splash of water and generous pinch of salt. Let this cook slowly for about 15 minutes. Once the onions are lovely and caramelised, deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add in the prunes, olives, lemon peels and juice, sage, oregano and bay leaves, followed by the chicken stock or water.

Add the chicken back into the pan, nestling it nicely into the onion mixture. You want everything to be just submerged, so add a little more stock or water if need be.

Season the pan with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and a good pinch of salt.
Cover the chicken with a round of baking paper, pressed directly onto the chicken to help seal it and keep the liquid from evaporating. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer so it’s only just bubbling, then put the lid on and leave it to cook for 1.5 hours.

Once cooked, the chicken should be beautifully tender and the sauce nice and rich. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed – a splash
of soy or red wine vinegar could be good here. Leave the chicken covered until ready to serve.

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CAULIFLOWER MASH

For the cauliflower mash, cut the cauliflower into little florets and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with water so the florets are just submerged, then add a good pinch of salt.

Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down and cook for 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
Drain the cauliflower with a colander and let it sit for 10 minutes or so– this will prevent your mash from being watery.

Return the cauliflower back into the emptied saucepan you cooked it in and add the butter, milk, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Give this a good stir, then add this mixture to a blender – you may need
to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Blitz the cauliflower on a high speed until perfectly smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more Parmesan, nutmeg, salt or black pepper to your liking.

GREENS

For the greens, bring a salted pot of water to the boil.
Add your greens and blanch for 2-3 minutes, until the stems are tender. Remove them from the water and place them in your colander to let as much of the water drain as possible. Once well-drained, transfer your greens into your serving bowl and drizzle them with a good amount of olive oil, the grated garlic, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. It’s great to do this while the leaves are still warm as they’ll absorb the flavours better. Finish the greens with the zest of the lemon and a sprinkle of salt.

TO SERVE

To serve, give each bowl a good spoonful of the cauliflower mash and spoon over a piece of the braised chicken with plenty of the prunes, olives and sauce. Finish each plate with a good crack of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of oregano.

Serve alongside the garlicky greens.

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