Chicken With Chorizo, Peppers And Sage With Spiced Aubergine

  • Prep time
  • Serves 4
chicken chorizo

Ingredients

  • 1 large corn-fed chicken, jointed into 8
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 red peppers, cut into 2.5cm squares
  • 110g/4oz chorizo, peeled and sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped sage
  • 2 tsp chopped thyme
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large aubergines
  • 110ml/4floz olive oil
  • 2 red onions, finely chopped
  • 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 good pinch of cumin
  • 1 handful of basil leaves, torn
  • 1 handful of coriander leaves, picked from stems
  • 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a pan
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method for chicken

  1. Season all the pieces of chicken with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes.
  3. When all the chicken pieces are nice and golden, remove them from the pan and set aside.
  4. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chorizo for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the peppers, garlic, sage and thyme to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F /Gas4.
  7. Pour the chorizo and pepper mixture into a roasting tin and place the chicken pieces on top.
  8. Zest the lemon and sprinkle over the chicken, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the juice of one half.
  9. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway through the cooking time.

Method for aubergine

  1. Cut the aubergines into chunks about 2cm thick and put them in a colander. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt and leave the aubergines to drain for half an hour.
  2. Heat 25ml of the olive oil in a pan and sauté the red onions until soft.
  3. Add the tomatoes and cook until you have a nice little tomato and onion stew.
  4. Season, then remove and set aside.
  5. Add half of the remaining olive oil to the pan and sauté half the aubergine chunks until tender.
  6. Remove and drain them on kitchen paper, then add the rest of the oil to the pan and sauté the remaining aubergine.
  7. Put the tomato and onion back into the pan with all the aubergine and add the red wine vinegar, cumin, basil and coriander.
  8. Mix everything well and finish with the pine nuts then check the seasoning.

To serve

Spoon the aubergine onto a plate and place the chicken alongside.