Chicken with Agen Prunes

📝 Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken legs (about 250 g each)
• 160 g pitted Agen prunes (about 16 prunes)
• 4 shallots (about 30 g each)
• 3 carrots (about 120 g each)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chicken stock cube + 400 ml hot water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 bay leaf
• 800 g waxy potatoes
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Flameproof casserole dish with lid
• Steamer or saucepan with a steamer basket
• Chopping board
• Chef's knife
• Peeler
• Wooden spatula

📖 Steps

1. Remove the skin from the chicken legs by pulling firmly, gripping it with a sheet of kitchen paper so it doesn't slip. Cut each leg in two at the joint: bend the leg to find the crease, then cut cleanly through at that point. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Dissolve the stock cube in the 400 ml of hot water and add the prunes so they plump up. Peel and halve the shallots, peel the carrots and cut into 1 cm rounds, and crush the garlic cloves.
3. Heat the oil in the casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for 4 to 5 minutes per side, without moving them, until nicely coloured. Work in two batches if the dish is small, then set aside on a plate.
4. Reduce to a medium heat, add the shallots and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with the spatula. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute so it cooks without burning.
5. Remove the prunes from the stock and set aside. Pour in the stock a little at a time, stirring to avoid lumps. Return the chicken and its juices, add the thyme and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into even-sized pieces and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tip of a knife slides in without resistance. Keep warm with the lid on.
7. Add the prunes to the casserole dish and cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid ajar. The chicken is done when the meat comes away easily from the bone and the juices run clear, with no trace of pink.
8. Remove the thyme and bay leaf. If the sauce is too thin, reduce it uncovered over a medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes: it should coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
9. Serve 2 pieces of chicken per person with the prunes, carrots and steamed potatoes, spooning over plenty of sauce. Crush the potatoes into the sauce with a fork: that's the best bit.