Recipes - Roast Chicken with Sumac, Onions and Pine Nuts

Serves 4  see this recipe online

• olive oil 4 tbsp
• free-range chicken 1 medium organic bird (1.5-1.7kg), jointed into 8 pieces (leave the skin on)
• onions 6 small new-season whole (or 12 spring onions), sliced in 2cm lengths
• sumac 2 tbsp
• pine nuts 50g
• water 3 tbsp

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a wide (30cm) ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them thoroughly on all sides, skin-side first. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off the fat.

Put the onions in the still-hot pan and sprinkle with half the sumac, the remaining tablespoon of oil and some salt and pepper. Arrange the pieces of chicken on top, skin-side up, and sprinkle with the pine nuts and the remaining sumac. Put the pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes to get the onions going, then transfer the dish to the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, add the water to the onions to make a chunky sauce, and pour it over the chicken.