Fricassee of chicken with chocolate

Food should be enjoyed, buy the best quality you can afford and of course indulge yourself sometimes. I think it makes people feel even better about their food when the ingredients are ethically sourced - especially meat, fish and poultry from farmers that really care about the welfare of their livestock - Jean-Christope Novelli

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  45 minutes
Serves: 4

Method

Divide the chicken legs in half through the natural joint without splintering the bones.

Season with salt and pepper, then add the bay leaves, thyme, crushed garlic and dust with paprika.  Add enough oil to coat and leave to infuse for at least an hour, or allow more time for stronger flavours to develop.

Preheat the oven to 170°C / fan 150°C / Gas 3.

Heat a heavy based pan and then carefully place the pieces of chicken in the pan – no more oil is required, just the marinade. Fry the chicken on both sides until evenly golden.

Remove the chicken from the pan with the herbs and garlic.  Set aside and keep warm.  Add the sliced onions to the pan and sweat down until soft, then add a dash of water and place a lid on to steam the onions.

Add the cocoa powder and stir, then stir in the clear honey.  Return the chicken pieces and herbs etc, and combine with the onion mixture.

Sprinkle over enough flour to absorb any fat residue and form a basic roux.  Stir in the wine, and continue to stir until the sauce thickens.  Bring to simmer and remove any impurities that rise to the surface with a spoon.  Replace the lid on the pan and bring to the boil.  Place the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.  After 15 minutes remove the lid and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes to allow the food to glaze.  Finish with a dash of olive oil for a glossy appearance and serve.