Supper – Using what is to hand………………………

Gathering up the ingredients from the larder and kitchen garden……………………………………………….

CRISPY AND STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SQUASHED NEW POTATOES AND TOMATOES.
SOURCE: Jamie at Home – Jamie Oliver.
You have to admit……………….he’s got the knack, old Jamie.
The banter, the skill, the visual delight and the pure theatre of his cooking.
Having watched his programme twice over, and naturally owning the book, I find this recipe a family favourite that is requested over and over.
As our house is “a renovation in progress” I am obliged at the moment to prepare food and serve it on the same kitchen table (restored billiard table, with slate insert – a top piece of kitchen kit), I have to limit my efforts when guests come to eat with us in the short term.
It takes a minimum of effort, and tastes wonderful.
My mother, a great cooking influence and admirer of my efforts dryly commented once that I never follow a recipe – guilty as charged. In my defence I would say that this is the art of a true cook – to develop and improve on a basic recipe to suit the needs of those who are going to eat it.
I am so new in the art of blogging that I am unsure as to copyright issues with reproducing the recipe and method on a blog, so for this post I will simply refer the readers ( husband and children at the moment) to the source of the recipe.
I will note down here my adaptations.
1. I didn’t bone out the thighs, I skinned them and fried them off whole. Life is too short.
2. I added the herbs (thyme and marjoram) in small sprigs to fish out at the end of the cooking
3. Timings – Jamie suggests a timing of 40 minutes – as the thighs were whole, I allowed 90 minutes on the same oven setting
4. I sloshed in the red wine vinegar (aged Vinaigre D’Orleans), just prior to a final stir before it went into the oven
5. I used a variety of tomatoes, skinned from the garden (as seen in my blog header)
6. I added garlic to the warming olive oil at the very start of the cooking, heated it gently without browning and put it to one side when frying off the chicken, and added it just before it went into the oven.
7. I did serve it with rocket, and didn’t dress it – the tomato/olive juices from the pan meld very well with it.
8. I additionally served a crusty French loaf for the obligatory mopping up required (Guests did daintily start mopping the juices on their own plates.This was quickly followed by a free for all on the cooking pan)
8. Even though I thought I was saving time by cooking the thighs whole, I did have to bone the cooked result for my daughter who “doesn’t do bones”……………..what can I say.?

FINISHED RESULT