Buttermilk chicken thighs with charred courgette sauce and parmesan pangrattato

Buttermilk creates the juiciest chicken on the BBQ. Simply serve these in burger buns with the usual suspects, or head to the Med for a new take on chicken on the grill with a smoky sweet tomato courgette sauce and crunchy crumbs.

40 MINUTES + MARINATING | SERVES 4 6 | EASY |

BUTTERMILK CHICKEN

buttermilk 300ml

vegetable oil 3 tbsp

smoked paprika 2 tsp

garlic 2 cloves, crushed

whole black peppercorns crushed to make 1 tsp sea salt flakes 2 tsp

skinless chicken thigh fillets 6-8

SAUCE

courgettes 2 medium, halved lengthways

olive oil 2 tbsp, plus a drizzle

onion 1, finely chopped

garlic 2 cloves, sliced

beef tomatoes 4, grated or finely chopped

vegetable stock 150ml

red wine vinegar 2 tbsp

runny honey 1 tbsp

CRUMBS

sourdough 150g, whizzed to breadcrumbs

olive oil 2 tbsp

lemon ½, zested

thyme leaves picked to make 1 tsp

parmesan finely grated to make 1 tbsp 1 Put all the buttermilk chicken ingredients, except the chicken, into a bowl and stir until combined. Add the thighs, toss to coat, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight – but you can leave for up to 48 hours.

2 Light a BBQ and let the flames die down about an hour before you want to cook on it, or heat the grill to high. Drizzle the courgette halves with a little oil and BBQ or grill for 10 minutes on each side until really smoky and charred. Leave to cool for a few minutes then finely chop.

3 Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for

10-15 minutes or until very soft. Stir in the garlic for a few seconds then add the grated tomato with all the juice from the chopping board, a pinch of salt and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes break down, then add the stock and courgettes. Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced. Season with more salt, pepper, vinegar and honey until you get a sweet/sour/smoky tomato sauce.

4 Toss the sourdough with the oil to coat well, and season. Fry in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until crunchy and golden. Tip into a bowl, leave to cool for a few minutes then stir in the thyme, lemon zest and parmesan.

5 Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drip off, then BBQ or grill for 6-8 minutes on each side or until charred and cooked through. Serve the chicken over the courgette sauce and scatter over the crumbs to serve.

PER SERVING 6 408 kcals | fat 24.5G saturates 4.7G | carbs 24.1G | sugars 12G fibre 3.5G | protein 20.9G | salt 2.7G