Ingredients

• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 x 1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken
• giblets removed
• jointed into 8 pieces
• 25ml/1fl oz olive oil
• 2 onions
• thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• lightly crushed
• 4 red peppers
• seeds removed
• thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 5 tbsp dry sherry
• 5 tbsp white wine
• 400g tin tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground espelette pepper
• 1-2 tsp caster sugar
• to taste
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• finely diced
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 200g/7oz basmati rice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lemon
• sliced

Directions

• For the chicken
• preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper
• then dredge the chicken pieces in the flour.
• Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side
• or until golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to an ovenproof casserole.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan
• then fry the onions
• garlic and peppers for 4-5 minutes
• or until just softened. Stir in the tomato purée and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes
• then pour in the sherry and white wine and bring the mixture to the boil. Stir in the tinned tomatoes
• espelette pepper and sugar and return to the boil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces. Cover and bake for 1-1½ hours
• or until the chicken is cooked through and no trace of pink remains
• the peppers are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Meanwhile
• for the pilau rice
• heat the oil in a large lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened but not browned. Add the cloves and cinnamon and cook for another 1-2 minutes
• until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat it in the oil
• then pour over 600ml/20fl oz water and stir again.
• Add the bay leaves and 2 lemon slices
• then cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat until it is just simmering. Cook the rice for 15-20 minutes
• or until it is just tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the lemon slices and bay leaves before serving.
• To serve
• stir the parsley into the chicken and season again. Serve with the pilau rice. Garnish the plates with the remaining lemon slices.