CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SAVOURY PUY LENTIL RAGOUT - AINSLEY HARRIOT

Cooking time:1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

8 chicken thighs with bones
2 leeks, trimmed and finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely diced
225g (8oz) dried Puy lentils
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil


Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and trim the thigh meat. Place the bones and trimmings in a pan with half of the leeks, carrots and celery. Pour in 1.2 litres of water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour for a well-flavoured stock.  Strain 300ml of the stock through a fine sieve and place in a jug.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and put the chicken thighs in, skin-side down. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 20-25 minutes until the skin is crispy. Avoid shaking the pan or touching the chicken thighs whilst they are cooking.
Once the chicken thighs are browned and the flesh is almost but not quite cooked through, turn them over and cook for another 5-6 minutes until completely cooked and tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
While the chicken thighs are cooking, if using dried lentils, rinse in a sieve under cold running water, then place in a pan with 600ml of water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until al dente (just tender but still with a little bite). Drain in a sieve and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan and gently cook the rest of the leeks, carrots and celery for 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the cooked lentils and the stock. Season to taste and simmer for a few minutes until most of the stock has been absorbed and the vegetables are tender. Carve each chicken thigh into 2/ 3 slices. Spoon the savoury lentils onto warmed plates and arrange the slices of crispy chicken on top to serve.


TV chef and presenter of Ready Steady Cook and Can't Cook, Won't Cook, Ainsley Harriott, gives us his five easy steps to creating a crispy chicken thigh and lentil ragout.