Slow cooked chicken with a crisp corn crust

This is a wonderful meal on an autumn day, served with a crisp green salad. The slow-cooked chicken is packed full of flavour and the crust – gluten-free, rich and corny – makes a welcome (and lighter) change to a heavier mash. You can make the chicken well in advance if you want to get ahead: it keeps in the fridge for up to three days or can be frozen for one month. You want it to go into the oven defrosted though, so it will need thawing once out of the freezer. The batter needs to be made fresh and spooned on top of the chicken just before the dish gets baked, but it can then just go back in the oven. The dish can be baked a few hours in advance – just warm it through for 10 minutes, covered in foil, before serving. I love the combination of the chicken and the corn, but the chicken also works well as it is, served on top of rice, in a wrap or with a buttery jacket potato. 

Serves 6
3 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, thinly sliced (500g)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp rose harissa (or 50% more, or less, depending on variety)
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
850g chicken thighs, skinless and boneless (about 9–10 thighs)
200ml passata
5 large tomatoes, quartered (400g)
200g jarred roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 2cm thick rounds
15g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
20g coriander, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper 

SWEETCORN BATTER
70g unsalted butter
500g corn kernels, fresh or frozen and defrosted (shaved corn kernels from 4 large corn cobs, if starting from fresh)
3 tbsp whole milk
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium high heat. Add the onions and fry for 8–9 minutes, stirring a few times until caramelised and soft. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, harissa, paprika, chicken, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the passata and tomatoes. Pour over 350ml of water, bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium heat, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring every once in a while.

2. Add the peppers and chocolate and continue to simmer for another 35–40 minutes with the pan now uncovered, stirring frequently, until the sauce is getting thick and the chicken is falling apart. Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander. If you are serving the chicken as it is (as a stew without the batter), it’s ready to serve (or freeze, once it’s come to room temperature) at this stage. If you are making the corn topping, spoon the chicken into a ceramic baking dish – one with high sides that measures about 20 x 30cm – and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

4. Pour the butter into a blender with the corn, milk, egg yolks and ¾ teaspoon salt. Blitz for a few seconds, to form a rough paste, then spoon into a large bowl. Place the egg whites in a separate clean bowl and whisk to form firm peaks. Fold these gently into the runny corn mixture until just combined, then pour the mix evenly over the chicken.

5. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden-brown. Keep an eye on it after 25 minutes to make sure the top is not taking on too much colour – you might need to cover it with tin foil for the final 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Yotam Ottolenghi has developed a cult following among foodies but his latest recipe book, Ottolenghi Simple, has the time-poor in mind. It’s the perfect cook book for busy parents who love good food, but who also need to get family-friendly recipes on the table – often in a hurry! These recipes involve minimal hassle, yet give maximum joy. Courtesy of Yotam Ottolenghi, we’ve selected our favourite dishes from this staple recipe book, to help keep your family fed this winter. Recipes extracted from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, published by Ebury Press, RRP$65.00. Photography: From Ottolenghi Simple, copyright © Jonathan Lovekin