Ingredients

• ½ onion
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 thyme sprigs
• leaves picked
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
• ½ Scotch bonnet chilli
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• ½ tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 chicken thighs
• skin on
• bone in
• 75ml/2½fl oz rum
• 200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
• 4 tbsp honey
• to glaze
• 150–200g/5½–7oz tinned black-eyed beans
• drained
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 onion
• peeled
• cut in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g/1lb 2oz jasmine or basmati rice
• 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
• 1 green papaya or mango
• peeled and finely sliced
• 150g/5½oz mangetout
• finely sliced
• 4–6 spring onions
• finely chopped
• 1 sour green apple
• grated
• 1–2 limes
• juice only
• 1 red chilli
• finely chopped
• 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger
• peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• pinch caster sugar
• 50g–100g/1¾oz–3½oz peanuts
• roughly chopped
• vegetable oil
• for frying
• 2 black very ripe soft plantains
• peeled and chopped

Directions

• For the chicken
• blend the onion in a food processor or blender until smooth. Tip into a shallow dish large enough to hold all the chicken thighs. Add the coriander
• cumin
• thyme
• garlic
• parsley
• rapeseed oil
• chilli
• paprika
• allspice
• soy sauce and nutmeg and stir well. Add the chicken to the dish and brush the marinade all over the chicken. Cover and set aside.
• Put the black-eyed beans in a pan with the thyme
• onion
• bay leaves
• rice and coconut milk. Reduce to a low heat and cover
• and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked through and fluffy.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• Roast the chicken for 25–30 minutes turning at least once. Pour over the honey and turn up the heat to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes
• or until the chicken is browned and completely cooked through.
• Remove the chicken from the oven
• carefully pour off the juice into a small pan. Add the rum and reduce by half. Pour in the stock and reduce again until you have a gravy consistency. Keep the chicken warm.
• For the slaw
• combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• For the fried plantain
• heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Either shallow fry the plantain until crisp on the outside
• or else carefully lower the plantain into the hot oil and deep-fry. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Serve the chicken with the rice and peas
• slaw and fried plantain on the side.