Name: Chicken with potatoes, prunes and pomegranate molasses
Ingredients: 8 whole chicken legs (ie, each with a drumstick and a thigh; 2kg in all); 16 medium Charlotte potatoes, peeled (about 800g net); 3 large onions, peeled and quartered; 120g pitted prunes; 30g grated fresh ginger; 100ml soy sauce; 90ml pomegranate molasses; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 120g sweet mango chutney; ½ tsp whole black peppercorns; 20g oregano sprigs, plus a few picked leaves to garnish

Chicken with potatoes, prunes and pomegranate molasses

Main Midweek

Serves 4

Here's a one-pot dish to surprise a few regular readers: there's nothing more to it than throwing everything in and waiting. Yes, really. For the amount of work involved, the depth of flavour is remarkable; plus, there's the bonus of minimising the washing-up. It's a dish to keep up your sleeve for the cold weekends to come.

Ingredients

8	whole chicken legs (ie, each with a drumstick and a thigh; 2kg in all)
16	medium Charlotte potatoes, peeled (about 800g net)
3	large onions, peeled and quartered
120g	pitted prunes
30g	grated fresh ginger
100ml	soy sauce
90ml	pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp	maple syrup
120g	sweet mango chutney
½ tsp	whole black peppercorns
20g	oregano sprigs, plus a few picked leaves to garnish

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then tip into a large casserole dish. Cover with a lid (or thick foil), and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, and cook for two hours longer, stirring every now and then.
When the time is up, remove the dish from the oven, stir once more, cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes, to rest and allow the flavours to mingle. Garnish with a few oregano leaves, and serve with a sharp green salad and some good bread to mop up the lovely juices.