Roast Chicken with Grapes and Thyme

, from Issue #41. August, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Roast Chicken with Grapes and Thyme

If you have the time, marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge. The garlic and herbs infuse the chicken and it helps cut down on preparation time the next day.

Serves: 4–6

INGREDIENTS

5 boneless chicken thighs, skin on
5 chicken drumsticks
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped thyme or rosemary
finely grated zest 1 lemon
10 strips streaky bacon (we use Freedom Farms)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups seedless red grapes
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

10 toothpicks or kitchen string

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest in a large bowl and season. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Wrap each piece of chicken in a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick or kitchen string.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Drain off most of the fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the onions and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the crispy bits. Stir in the stock then return the chicken and any meat juices to the pan and roast for 30 minutes. Add the grapes and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

To serve: Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Stir the parsley into the pan juices and spoon the grapes and sauce over the top.