Oven Baked Chicken Muhammara With Sultana Rice

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your chicken thighs with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 min until lightly browned

Meanwhile, peel and chop your brown onion[s] into wedges

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into bite-sized chunks

Crush your garlic open by squashing it with the side of a knife and discard the skins

Once the chicken is lightly browned, add the onion wedges, chopped pepper and crushed garlic to the dish with your ras el hanout, chicken stock mix and tomato paste

Add a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up

Add 300ml [390ml] [510ml] boiled water, stir it all together and put the dish in the oven, uncovered, for 40 min, stirring halfway, or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

When the chicken has had 10 min, add your white long grain rice to an oven-proof dish with your sultanas, a pinch of salt and 300ml [390ml] [600ml] boiled water

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your sultana rice

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once cooked, remove the stew from the oven and add your romesco sauce and a knob of butter

Give everything a good mix up until the butter has melted – this is your oven baked chicken muhammara