Chicken casserole with Capers

Chicken pieces marinated with olive oil, garlic and fresh oregano then paired with capers, garlic, lemon, olives and oregano. Affordable and full of flavour.

Cooking Time: 1 hour. Preparation time 20 minutes. Makes: 4 serves

Ingredients

8 small chicken thighs or 4 chicken Maryland’s cut in half
2 tbsps plain flour
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
4 garlic cloves sliced
2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves chopped or 8 sprigs of thyme
2 medium red onions peeled and cut in wedges
1 cup low salt chicken stock
2 tbsps Always Fresh capers – drained
½ cup Always Fresh pitted Kalamata olives – drained
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve

extra thyme sprigs

Method

Pre heat oven to 170^oC

Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Place them in freezer bag with the flour and salt and pepper, seal the bag and toss them until lightly coated in flour.
In a large sauté pan or frying pan on a medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the chicken turning regularly until lightly browned.
Remove the chicken from the sauté pan and transfer to an oven proof dish.
Turn the heat to low, add the third tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the wedges of red onion, sauté stirring gently until they start to soften and colour (about 5 minutes).
Add the garlic, stir till fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the flavour filled brown bits off the pan.
Place the sautéed onion, stock and garlic in the ovenproof dish with the browned chicken. Add the capers, thyme, juice and thin peel of half the lemon and slices of the other lemon half. Season with a generous grind of black pepper.
Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (add a little water or extra stock if its dries out too much during cooking).
Add the olives and return for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve hot, scattered with extra thyme sprigs, with rice and steamed green vegetables or salad.