Fragrant and flavourful Italian chicken bake

This beautiful dinner is the perfect summer meal to have with air-conditioning on blast! Filled with tasty vegetables and loads of flavour it’s guaranteed to be a treat this season!

Ingredients

Chicken Bake:

• 8-10 chicken thighs, legs or drumsticks (preferably free-range)
• 600g potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
• 1 x 400g can whole tomatoes, drained and halved
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or regular mozzarella (optional)

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or thyme
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

To serve (optional for a fancy treat):

• Freshly grated parmesan
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• Handful of coriander
• Balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius.
2. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters and place in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until just underdone.
3. Drain, then replace the pot back over a low heat for a few minutes to evaporate any excess moisture. Drizzle with a little olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Lightly crush each piece with a fork to crumble it up just a little bit. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Coat chicken with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a little oil in the frying pan over a high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the chicken pieces skin-side down and cook for about 5 minutes or until it’s crispy and golden. Turn over and cook for another few minutes. It doesn’t need to be cooked through – this will happen in the oven. The brown crust will add great flavour.
6. To make the herb vinaigrette, you can either combine all the ingredients using a mortar and pestle, mini-food processor, or just chop everything finely as possible and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
7. In either your ovenproof pan or a baking dish, arrange the tomatoes and potatoes around the chicken pieces. Drizzle with the vinaigrette all over. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and potatoes golden on top.
8. With around 10 minutes to go, scatter the mozzarella on top.
9. To serve, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan, basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar if you like. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh green salad.