Roast Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas, Tomato and Fennel

This dish is perfect for when summer isn’t quite summer-ing. Being both hearty and comforting, but won’t leave you feeling slumped - it is perfect for those rainy August days and late-summer bbq’s alike. With succulent chicken thighs, chickpeas cooked with garlic and onions, topped with fragrant fennel and a touch of chilli, yo'u’ve got to give this one a go.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs

• paprika

• 100g white onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• 800g canned chickpeas

• 300g cherry tomatoes

• 50g fennel

• 15g capers

• chilli flakes

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry, season with salt, pepper, olive oil and paprika. Roast in the oven on a baking tray for around 35/40 minutes until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature is 72°C.

• After around 10 minutes, to a medium sized pan, add some olive oil then sweat down the chopped garlic. Once translucent and fragrant, add in the garlic. Add in the chickpeas then after five minutes add in the rinsed chickpeas.

• Season with salt and pepper, then cook while stirring regularly for around 10 more minutes.

• Using a knife, slice the fennel in half lengthways, then use a mandolin to create fine slices of fennel. Set these aside along with some fennel tips.

• Once the chicken is ready, remove from the baking tray and cover with tin foil to rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, taste and season the chickpea mix then spoon onto the plate. Top with two chicken thighs, sliced fennel, fennel tips and some capers. Sprinkle over some chilli flakes then serve!