go! Platteland

Chicken roasted in pomegranat­e syrup

-

The sweet tang of pomegranat­es makes this dish exceptiona­l.

Serves 4 Preparatio­n time 10 minutes Cooking time 90 minutes

You need

• 1kg chicken portions or a whole chicken • 2 rashers streaky bacon, finely chopped • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 3 garlic cloves, crushed • ½ red chilli, finely chopped • 2 tablespoon­s (30ml) olive oil • 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock • ½ cup (125ml) pomegranat­e syrup (see recipe on the right or use bought pomegranat­e molasses) • roasted sweet-potato wedges to serve • extra pomegranat­e seeds to garnish

This is how

Heat the oven to 150°C. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a large casserole dish that can go into the oven, fry the bacon and onion until soft. Stir the garlic and chilli through. Arrange the chicken portions in a single layer, skin side up, on top of the bacon mixture. Pour over the olive oil, stock and pomegranat­e syrup. Cover the dish with a sheet of foil, put the lid on and roast in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid and foil, increase the temperatur­e to 220°C and roast for another 20-30 minutes until brown.

Serve the chicken with the sauce and roasted sweet-potato wedges, and garnish with fresh pomegranat­e seeds. Tip You could fry the bacon mixture in a pan and spoon it into an oven dish. Place the chicken on top and follow the recipe as above. Seal the dish tightly with foil.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa