Chicken Bake with Ricotta & Butter Bean Purée
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs (get more if they are really small)
300g cherry tomatoes
2 cans butter beans
7 garlic cloves
3 lemons
125g ricotta (about half a container from the supermarket)
1/2 cup olive oil
Handful basil
Salt & Pepper
Method
Pre heat oven to 190 degrees C. In a baking tray drizzle a quarter of the olive oil on the bottom. Place the chicken thighs on top, followed by the cherry tomatoes. Season well. Crush the garlic by pressing down on it with a large knife and remove the skin. Roughly chop into chunks, set one clove aside and sprinkle the rest on top. Drizzle another quarter of the olive oil on top. Chop two of the lemons in half and squeeze the juice out on top of the chicken. Place each half in the baking dish. Stir the chicken and garlic around so the garlic is in the mix not sitting directly on top of the chicken as it will burn. Place in the oven for 45 mins to an hour. Using a food processor or blender, pour in the butter beans, remaining olive oil, remaining garlic clove and squeeze remaining lemon, season well then blend. Set aside. Roughly chop the basil and set this aside too. Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon the purée into the bottom of the plates towards one side. Using a spoon with holes in it or tongs place the chicken and tomatoes on top and beside the purée. Using a tablespoon, get some of the juice from the oven dish out and spoon over the chicken. Don’t get too much or it will drown your plate. You can also put half a lemon on each plate for decoration if you want. Using a teaspoon place the ricotta in chunks on random areas around the plate and on top of the other ingredients. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve.