Pot Roast Chicken with Dates

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken
• salt and ground black pepper
• butter, vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 125ml chicken stock
• 125ml dry sherry (Tio Pepe)
• 30ml honey
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml Dijon mustard
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated green ginger, or 1 tsp dried ground ginger
• 200g pitted dates, fresh or dried
• finely grated rind of 1 orange

Method

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a little butter and oil in a saucepan and brown the bird well all over. Remove from the pot, stir in the onion and braise until glazed and golden. Add the cinnamon, cloves, tumeric, chicken stock, sherry, honey, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and ginger.

Place chicken on top. Cover and cook very gently for 30 minutes. Add the dates and orange rind and continue cooking until chicken is done – about 30 minutes more.

Transfer chicken and dates to a warm dish, check the flavour for the sauce and correct the consistency if necessary. Add a little water if it’s too thick, reduce by boiling, uncovered, if it is too thick. Pour over the chicken and serve with rice and vegetables.