I will never forget a day joining other family members for lunch at the home of my wonderful Aunt Clare and Uncle John. Clare was a rather reluctant cook in many ways, yet she routinely sought to create a convivial and generous table. ‘Who said food had anything to do with lunch anyway?’ John would often demand, partly to quell her culinary aspirations and partly, possibly, for the sake of a quiet life. ‘Give me cheese and bread and wine any day.’ I loved this philosophy and enjoyed many such meals with them.

Back to the day with the relatives though – I cannot remember the details of the occasion but I can recall a growing number of us gathering around Clare and John’s ever expanding table. More and more people were arriving and being seated and comfortably ensconced, which seemed to defy the realities of the space available. Wonderful smells were emitting from the oven. Crisp green salads were being delivered to the table. Piles of crusty bread and dishes of butter appeared. The wine and conversation and laughter flowed. Next thing I could see trays and trays of baked chicken being removed from the oven for serving.

A little reluctant Clare may have been as a cook, but she was no fool and she knew how to produce something fabulously generous, delicious and impressive, while keeping to a minimum the stress and the fuss in the kitchen; A skill useful for any of us

From where I sat I could see these trays, which displayed a relatively uniform arrangement of crisp, golden, baked chicken thighs, cooked on the bone, glistening in their juices and surrounded with a colourful selection of vegetables and aromatics. Brilliant green stems of oregano were produced to garnish and further enliven the dish - a culinary spectacle. It involved no fussing, stirring, carving, final assembling or anything – just serving to enthusiastic diners, their appetites already whetted by the aromas that filled the air.

Baked chicken cooked in this way has become a family favourite, the possible variations limited only by our imagination.

Each of us has our preferred combination of ingredients, which we incorporate when in charge of the meal. This dish is perfect for feeding small or large numbers; you are only limited by the size of your oven. It is also a no-brainer after work. Something you really could ask a child to assemble on your behalf and have sizzling in the oven on your arrival home.

The recipe below is for 6 people. The ingredients are merely a recommendation and their quantities can be varied to suit your taste and what you happen to have on hand. I do recommend, though, using a baking dish with intact sides, as this dish produces wonderful juices to be used as a sauce.

Ingredients

• 6 – 8 chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on.
• 6 – 12 small, delicious, Summer tomatoes
• 6 -12 peeled shallots or 2 peeled red onions, quartered
• 1 bulb of garlic, either peel the cloves individually or use a whole unpeeled bulb (in which case people can break off and peel what they want)
• 250g (stoned) black olives
• 4 long red and 4 long green whole chilli
• A sprig of thyme and or 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ - ½ glass of white wine
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• Stems of oregano, marjoram or parsley for garnish

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220c.
• Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, skin side up and season with salt and pepper
• Pour ½ cup of olive oil into a medium size bowl, season with salt and pepper. Coat the vegetables and aromatics in the bowl and arrange them around the chicken.
• Add the wine
• Sprinkle paprika over the chicken for beautiful colour and a subtle smoky flavour
• Place the dish into the preheated oven for 30 minutes
• Remove the dish from the oven and carefully lift and turn each piece of chicken to baste it and return to skin side up.
• Toss the vegetables and aromatics in the juices
• Return the dish to the oven for an additional 20 – 30 minutes. Wait for the skin to be crispy and golden. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork.

To Serve: either serve directly from the baking dish at the table, or arrange the ingredients on a serving platter, pouring additional juices into a serving jug. Which ever way, baste the chicken one more time by turning it into the juices and coat the vegetables and aromatics the same way. Garnish with stems of oregano or marjoram or parsley.

Variations

• To the dish above add either a 400g tin of drained, rinsed chick peas or some small, peeled cocktail potatoes to cook with the rest of the ingredients

• Place the chicken pieces, skin side up on 2 mashed anchovy fillets, 5 whole cloves, peeled garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 small sprig of rosemary, 2 peeled, diced tomatoes (optional). Season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼- ½ cup white wine. To serve, garnish with fresh rosemary.

• Add a few sprigs of tarragon to the dish and a knob of butter. Rub some olive oil over the chicken, season with salt and pepper and bake skin side up. Stir in ¼ cup cream or to taste, to the juices just before serving. Garnish with fresh tarragon.

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