Chicken in plums and sweet spice traybake
Chicken is marinated in spices, demerera sugar and fresh plums before being roasted until sticky and gnarly, in this recipe from Honey & Co. co-owners, Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich.
- 6–8 skin-on chicken thighs (depending on size)
- MARINADE:
- 2 plums (about 80g/3oz), quartered and stones removed
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ROASTING TRAY:
- 2–3 celery sticks, cut into 5-cm/2-inch pieces
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 6–8 plums (about 240g/81⁄2oz), quartered and stones removed
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
- A few sprigs of tarragon, to garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Make the marinade by blitzing everything together in a food processor until you have a smooth puree. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and mix well to make sure they are evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate: a couple of hours will do the trick but you can leave it for up to 24 hours.
- Heat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Place the celery, onion, garlic and half the plum quarters in a large roasting tray.
- Top with the chicken thighs, skin-side up, and pour any remaining marinade over the chicken. Season with some salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the tray and baste everything well with the juices that have formed at the bottom.
- Reduce the temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and return the chicken to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining plum quarters. Sprinkle with the sugar and roast for a final 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste again and garnish with a few tarragon sprigs before serving.
Recipe from Honey & Co. At Home: Middle Eastern recipes from our kitchen by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich (Pavilion Books). Photography by Patricia Niven.
