Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 x 1.75kg/3lb 13oz organic or free-range chicken
• cut into 8 portions
• 4 garlic cloves
• roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp capers
• rinsed
• 20 black olives
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 red pepper
• core and seeds removed and sliced into strips
• 350ml/12fl oz white wine
• 800g/1lb 12oz tinned whole plum tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75g/2½oz unsalted butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 1 litre/1 pint 15fl oz milk
• 250g/9oz semolina
• 100g/3½oz parmesan
• grated
• 1 large free-range egg yolk
• 1 x 400g/14oz can whole plum tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• handful basil leaves

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Heat the olive oil in a shallow casserole dish or large
• deep frying pan.
• Add the chicken pieces and fry
• turning occasionally
• until golden-brown on all sides.
• Add the garlic
• capers
• olives
• oregano and red pepper and stir well.
• Add the wine
• and simmer until it has reduced in volume by half.
• Stir in the tomatoes
• breaking them up slightly with a wooden spoon.
• Season with salt and pepper then cover loosely with a lid and simmer for about 40 minutes
• stirring occasionally.
• For the gnocchi
• grease a large baking dish with a little of the butter.
• Place the milk in a saucepan and heat until it is almost boiling. (Do not boil.)
• Add the semolina
• stirring all the time to prevent any lumps from forming.
• Continue to cook over a low heat for about ten minutes
• stirring constantly
• until the mixture has become a fairly firm but smooth ball.
• Remove the pan from the heat and mix in 60g/2oz of the butter
• 60g/2oz of the parmesan cheese
• the egg yolk and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Tip the mixture out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and smooth out to create a layer 2cm/1in thick. Leave to cool at room temperature for about one hour to firm up slightly.
• Using a pastry cutter 3cm/1¼in diameter
• cut out discs of the gnocchi mixture
• reshaping and re-rolling the trimmings to make sure you use up of all of the mixture.
• Meanwhile
• place the tomatoes into a saucepan with the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Break the tomatoes down just a little with a wooden spoon and cook for about ten minutes
• until thickened.
• Place the gnocchi into the greased baking dish
• overlapping slightly so you have just one layer of gnocchi discs.
• Top with the tomato sauce and remaining 40g/1½oz parmesan and dot over lumps of the remaining butter.
• Add a twist of black pepper and place into the oven to bake for 15 minutes
• or until the edges are golden.
• Remove from the oven
• scatter the basil over the chicken and gnocchi dishes and serve.