Chicken in an almond sauce with a sweet date salsa

Chicken in an almond sauce with a sweet date salsa
  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 1 hour, simmering time 1 hour, plus marinating

Chicken braised in almond milk and served with a sweet salsa makes for an Italian dish that is rich in flavour, but not too heavy. Enjoy alongside a bitter leaf salad and a glass of soft white – perfect for a summer dinner party.

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Nutrition: per serving

Calories
750kcals
Fat
55.2g (9g saturated)
Protein
35.7g
Carbohydrates
25.6g (21.5g sugars)
Fibre
4.3g
Salt
0.5g
Calories
750kcals
Fat
55.2g (9g saturated)
Protein
35.7g
Carbohydrates
25.6g (21.5g sugars)
Fibre
4.3g
Salt
0.5g

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 8 British free-range, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 2 tsp plain flour

For the date salsa

  • 100g medjool dates
  • 30ml olive oil
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar

For the almond sauce

  • 100ml light olive oil, plus a glug for browning
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 leek, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Pinch saffron strands
  • 400ml almond milk
  • 20g flaked almonds, lightly toasted in a dry pan, to serve
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped, to serve

Method

  1. Put the chicken thighs in a large baking tray. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  2. For the date salsa, remove the stones from the dates and roughly chop, then put into a small mixing bowl and mix with the olive oil and vinegar. Set aside.
  3. For the almond sauce, heat the 100ml oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and gently cook the onion, leek, carrot, garlic and bay leaves for 6-8 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the saffron and the almond milk, then cook until the volume is reduced by half (15-20 minutes). Set aside.
  4. Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan (or 2 smaller pans) and brown the marinated chicken all over for 10-12 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan of almond sauce and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Carefully transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and keep warm, then put the sauce back over a medium heat and reduce until thickened (7-10 minutes). Return the chicken to the sauce and coat well. Serve on a warmed platter, garnished with the date salsa, toasted flaked almonds and chopped fresh coriander, alongside a bitter leaf salad.

delicious. tips

  1. Make sure you use unsweetened almond milk to avoid adding sugar.

  2. Marinate the chicken up to 48 hours in advance and keep covered in the fridge.

Recipe By

Jamie Thickett

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