Mediterranean Chicken

We’re going retro with a revamped version of this wildly popular dish from the early 1980’s - turning it into an all-in-one baked dish with pearl couscous as the base. Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs which are virtually foolproof, need no browning, and the longer you marinate it the better, so it’s a great dish for preparing ahead of time.

Mediterranean Chicken

INGREDIENTS

STEP ONE

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup Great Southern Groves Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup pitted prunes
• ¾ cup dried apricots
• ¾ cup Great Southern Groves mixed olives
• ¼ cup capers
• 4 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

STEP TWO

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1½ cups white wine (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup pearl couscous

METHOD

STEP ONE

Place the chicken thighs in a non-corrosive dish. Combine the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, Great Southern Groves extra virgin olive oil, prunes, apricots, Great Southern Groves mixed olives, capers, and bay leaves and pour over the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, overnight if possible.

STEP TWO

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Spread the pearl couscous over the base of a large baking dish. Place the chicken on top of the pearl couscous in a single layer along with all of the marinade ingredients. Sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar and pour over the wine or chicken stock. Bake for 45-50 minutes, basting with cooking juices once halfway through cooking time. Stand the dish for ten minutes to allow the pearl couscous to continue to swell before serving. Serve with a simple green salad or green vegetables.

NOTES:

This recipe may be prepared 24 hours in advance for maximum flavour but is still delicious if the chicken is marinated the morning it is to be cooked. Risoni works just as well in place of the pearl couscous.

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