Crispy chicken thighs with griddled peaches, rosemary and honey

The promise of a glut of Autumnal fruit is swelling in the hedgerows. I think that our year of strange weather has been beneficial in it's own off-kilter way; the brambles along the lane jostle with little green blackberries, while there also looks to be a good crop of Wild cherry plums (albeit a late one, as everything is this year). In the interim we're making the best of the strawberries from the Pick your own, plus sunshine fruits like peaches and apricots. This subtly spiced chicken dish is perfect for a dusky evening supper, washed down with a crisp glass of dry rose.

2Tbsp Plain flour
2Tsp Ground cumin
6 Chicken thighs (skin left on)
3 Large peaches, cut in half with stones removed
A sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped from stem
2 Red onions, roughly chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Star anise
2Tbsp Honey
Salt & pepper

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the flour and cumin on a plate with a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Coat the chicken in the flour, then fry in a splash of oil until golden. Pop onto a baking dish and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
2 While the chicken is cooking, drain any excess fat from the frying pan and place back on the heat. Add the rosemary, garlic, onions, cinnamon and star anise, then keep on low so that the onions start to soften. Heat a griddle pan with a brush of olive oil, then cook the peach halves; cut side down first, then for a slightly shorter time on the underside.
3 Stir the honey into the softened onions, then spoon over the chicken and peaches.

Roast chicken, squash and juniper one-pot

Juniper is a wild quarry that stubbornly continues to evade my capture. I've trudged through untold heaths in search of its dark, indigo-hued berries, but I fear the odds are against me. Juniper’s fruit ripens only once every two years, so even if I do ever chance upon one, it could be a lengthy wait. Juniper and Squash/Pumpkin work wonderfully well together, especially in this Wintry one-pot that uses up leftovers from a roast chicken.

200g Roughly torn roasted chicken
A medium-sized Butternut squash, skin removed, de-seeded and cut into 2cm cubes.
1 Onion, cut into wedges
1 Garlic clove
A dozen Juniper berries, crushed gently (but not too much)
A sprig of Rosemary, leaves stripped from the stalk
Bay leaves
About a pint of chicken stock

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. In an oven and hob-proof dish, Gently heat the garlic and rosemary in a splash of olive oil, before adding the onion. Stir through for a few minutes, then add the chicken, squash and juniper berries. Let everything get to know each other on the heat for a further 5 minutes, season, then pour in the stock.
2 Pop a lid on the dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife easily slips through a chunk of squash.

Scatter

Peck

Rabbit, mushroom and ramson bulb pate

The Ramsons are so abundant along this riverbank during the spring; digging up a small handful of bulbs in the winter months won’t upset the balance in the slightest. A summer spent swelling gently in the soil leaves them plump and juicy - that garlic flavour is distinct as ever. If you'd prefer your pate to be really gamey just use rabbit; I like to tone down the strong flavour a touch though, so go 50/50 with chicken livers.

200g Rabbit livers

200g Chicken livers

100g Chestnut mushrooms, roughly torn

100g butter

3 bacon rashers, chopped

4 Large ramson bulbs

Fresh thyme leaves

Bay leaves

A splash of sherry

Salt and pepper

Fry the bacon in an oiled pan until crispy, then add the mushrooms to soften. Stir in the livers, brown for a few minutes (try not to cook them all the way through) then add the thyme, bay, chopped garlic and butter. Season, get a splash of sherry on the scene and stir through until the butter has melted. Spoon into a food processor, give it a brief blitz (I don’t like it too smooth), then spoon into ramekins. Create a seal with some clarified butter and a couple of bay leaves.

Good Food Magazine September '11 Cover