Chicken Cacciatore With Crispy Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Cut the potatoes (skins on) into bite-sized pieces, add them to a baking tray and drizzle them with olive oil

Add a large pinch of salt and pepper and mix well

Put them in the oven for 20-25 min or until they're golden brown and crispy

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chicken thigh fillets and season them lightly with salt and pepper

Cook for 3 min or until starting to brown, turning occasionally for even colouring

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic, carrot[s] and brown onion[s] 

Strip the rosemary and thyme leaves from the stalks and chop finely

Add the chopped onion[s], carrot[s] and garlic to the chicken

Cook for 3 min or until the vegetables have softened slightly

Add the chopped rosemary and thyme to the pan and cook for 2 min 

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 min further 

Meanwhile, boil a kettle

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan with a pinch of sugar and cook for 3 min until the tomatoes have reduced a little

Tip: the sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes

Meanwhile, dissolve the Knorr chicken stock cube[s] in 100ml [200ml] boiled water

Once the tomatoes have thickened slightly, reduce the heat to medium

Add the chicken stock and season with pepper 

Cook for 10 min or until the sauce resembles a pasta sauce-like consistency

Tip: loosen with a splash of boiled water if the sauce becomes too dry

Add the black olives and remove from the heat

Pull the chicken apart a little in the pan for easy eating – this is your chicken cacciatore

Tip: use two forks to pull the meat apart