Chicken thighs braised with fig leaves, white bean and yoghurt purée

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Season with sea salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Soak the beans overnight in a medium saucepan filled with water. When you are ready to prepare them, drain the beans and return them to the pot; cover with 5cm of fresh water and add 2 pinches of salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are completely tender, approximately 45-55 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/ Gas 2. Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If the skin is wet, pat it dry. Stack the four fig leaves, lay the spring onion and coriander stems on top. Wrap the fig leaves around the aromatics to form a tight bundle and tie with string.

Heat a frying pan over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Turn and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Do this in batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded. Turn off the heat, remove the chicken and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Return the pan to the heat, add the chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the fig leaf bouquet, garlic and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Return the thighs to the pan so they fit snugly. The liquid should come just above halfway up the sides of the meat (the skin should not be submerged). You may need to change pans or alter the amount of liquid. Leave the pan uncovered and place it in the oven. Braise for 1 hour, or until it is almost falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Put the beans and 60ml of the cooking liquid in a blender and purée with the yoghurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 pinches of sea salt. If the mixture is too thick, add some more bean liquid (it should be thinner than hummus but thicker than soup). Return the purée to the saucepan, cover and keep warm until ready to use.

Place 250ml the bean purée on a platter; use the back of a serving spoon to spread it out. Spoon a small amount of the braising liquid around and arrange the chicken thighs, a few little gem wedges and a scattering of herbs. Drizzle the gems with olive oil, scatter over the chilli, sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.