Italian chicken with ham, basil & beans

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
A great recipe for the end of the summer, using sweet roasted tomatoes and garlic. Serve with the best crusty bread you can get you hands on

Prep:10 mins
Cook:1 hrs 15 mins

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 455
fat 16g
saturates 4g
carbs 22g
sugars 10g
fibre 6g
protein 55g
salt 1.79g

Ingredients

8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in
8 slices prosciutto or other dry-cured ham
2 tbsp olive oil
2 whole heads garlic
800g tomatoes (a mix of smaller yellow and red tomatoes looks good)
175ml dry white wine
400g can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
large bunch basil

Tip

Wine

The quality of the wine makes all the difference in this recipe, so only use one you’d be happy to drink.

Method

Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pinch off 8 sprigs from the basil (about 3 leaves each per sprig) and lay one on top of each chicken thigh. Wrap each thigh in a piece of ham, with the ends tucked underneath.
Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin over two of the burners on the hob. Add the chicken and fry for about 4 mins or until the ham is just crisped and the chicken is lightly golden. Turn and repeat.
Meanwhile, cut the garlic bulbs in half around the middle and halve the tomatoes if small, quarter them if they’re big. Pick the leaves from the rest of the basil. Once the chicken has browned on both sides, add all of the tomatoes, half of the basil and the wine. Season then cover with foil and leave to cook slowly in the oven for 40 mins.
Take out of the oven and turn the heat up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the foil from the pan and stir the beans into the tomatoey juices. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 mins until the tomatoes, chicken and garlic are starting to crisp around the edges and the chicken is very tender. Just before serving, tear the remaining basil roughly then stir through or scatter over the pan.