Skye Gyngell's chicken with figs and honey

Updated: 04:48 EST, 8 September 2008

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This dish, like so many, relies on good ingredients – lovely ripe figs and the best free-range chicken that you can afford. It is unquestionably simple, but delicious – honey in savoury dishes must be counterbalanced with a certain amount of acidity to redress the balance. (The Italians call this balance of sweet and sour agro-dolce). A salad of leaves, dressed with nothing more than oil and lemon – and perhaps some good bread to mop up the juices – is all that is needed to accompany.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 x 1.6 kg organic free-range chicken jointed into 6-8 pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp mild-tasting oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
few sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
125ml white wine or verjuice
150ml good-quality chicken stock
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp mild tasting honey such as acacia
10 ripe figs

METHOD

Preheat the oven 180C/160C fan/400F/gas 6. Trim off the excess fat from the chicken, then season it generously all over with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then brown the chicken in batches, skin side down, for about 8 minutes, turning to colour them evenly all over. Remove the chicken to a flameproof casserole DISH using a slotted spoon. Pour off most of the fat from the frying pan, then add the onion and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the onion to the casserole with the thyme and bay leaf. Pour over the wine or verjuice and chicken stock. Place the casserole, uncovered, on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender but not quite falling off the bone. The skin should now be golden and the liquid reduced by about half.
Place the casserole over a low heat on the hob. Mix the wine vinegar and honey together and pour in. Tear each of the ripe figs into four and add to the casserole. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble until the liquor has reduced to a syrupy consistency – it should be glossy and taste both sweet and sour. Serve on warm plates, with a salad and warm bread.