Philomena’s golden apricot chicken

My grandmother
Philomena used to
cook apricot chicken
for us when I was
a kid… The smell
would creep down
through the garden.

Philomena’s golden apricot chicken
SERVES 4
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
4 tbsp ras el hanout
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 golden shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
11⁄2 cups chicken stock
6 apricots, halved, kernels removed
¼ cup pitted green olives
¼ cup flaked almonds
¼ cup coriander leaves
1 Place chicken thighs in a shallow
dish with 2 tbsp ras el hanout and
1 tbsp olive oil; rub to coat. Transfer
to an airtight container and refrigerate
for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
2 Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat
remaining olive oil in a cast-iron frying
pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken
thighs, skin side down, and cook for
4-5 minutes or until skin is golden brown.
Turn chicken over and cook for a further
2-3 minutes or until starting to colour.
Remove from pan and set aside.
3 Add shallot, garlic and remaining ras
el hanout to the pan. Sautée for 3 minutes
or until fragrant and shallot is translucent.
Add stock and stir to combine. Return
chicken thighs to pan, skin side up, then
arrange apricots, olives and almonds
around chicken. Bake for 20 minutes
or until chicken is cooked through.
4 To serve, garnish with coriander
leaves and drizzle over olive oil.

Asparagus and
broad bean frittata
MAKES ONE 25CM FRITTATA
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 bunch medium asparagus, trimmed
and cut into 2.5cm pieces
10 eggs
½ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup chopped chives
3 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 cup shelled broad beans
170 gm goat’s cheese
2 cups edible flowers
1 cup chopped mixed herbs,
such as parsley, basil, chives,
mint, tarragon and chervil
1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat olive oil
in a cast-iron frying pan over medium
heat. Add asparagus and cook for
2-3 minutes or until beginning to soften.
2 Meanwhile, place eggs, crème fraîche,
chives and mint in a large bowl. Season
with salt and pepper; whisk to combine.
3 Add broad beans to the frying pan
with asparagus and cook for 1 minute
to warm through. Add egg mixture and
immediately turn off heat. Crumble over
goat’s cheese and gently swirl into egg
mixture with a spoon or spatula.
4 Place pan in oven and bake for
20-25 minutes or until the centre is set.
5 To serve, cut frittata into 6-8 slices,
as if you’re slicing a pie. Place flowers
and herbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle
with olive oil and gently toss. Arrange
flower and herb salad over frittata and
sprinkle with salt flakes.