Chicken with chicory and bacon

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

pinch of demerara (raw) sugar

3 heads chicory, halved lengthwise

1 tbsp olive oil

4 large boneless chicken breast halves (preferably free-range), skin on

6–12 bacon slices

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the butter and the sugar in a large frying pan over low heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Add the chicory, and cook,turning, for 5–8 minutes until golden, then set aside.

2 Increase the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil to the same pan. When hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown for 3–5 minutes on each side until golden all over. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan.

3 Wrap 1 or 2 slices of bacon around each reserved chicory portion to cover, and tuck them into the roasting pan between the chicken pieces. (Pack everything tightly in the pan, so the dish will produce plenty of juices.) Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until golden. Serve hot with roast potatoes.

Cook’s NoTEs:

Sprinkle Parmesan or Gruyère cheese over the chicory once you have put it in the roasting tin, if you like.

Chicken with chicory and bacon