Chicken with Dates and Olives

Serves 4

Wow! This is a dish guaranteed to impress! The combination of savoury chicken and sweet dates is unbeatable. Best to marinate the chicken overnight in a glass bowl.

Recipe Category

Poultry – Chicken

Products in this recipe

Garlic & Herb Seasoning, Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette

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You will need

Main Dish

4 portions (1 kg) of skin on, whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks attached) or thigh pieces with skin on
Ina Paarman’s Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Marinade

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 T (30 ml) chopped fresh origanum
½ cup (125 ml) Ina Paarman’s Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette

To Bake

200 g dates or prunes, pitted
100 g pitted green olives
4 bay leaves

To Finish

½ cup (125 ml) red wine
3 T (45 ml) honey

For Garnishing

2 T (30 ml) caperberries

Method

Slash each chicken portion through the skin right to the bone 3 times and season on all sides with Garlic & Herb Seasoning.
In a large glass mixing bowl add all the marinade ingredients and mix together.
Add the chicken portions and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle position. Preheat oven to 180°C.
Pack the chicken pieces into an ovenproof dish, to fit snugly, skin side up, tuck in the dates and olives and pour over the remaining marinade.
Cover the dish with wet baking paper. Bake covered for 1 ¼ hours. Remove the paper. Mix the red wine with the honey and drizzle over the chicken.
Bake open for a final 15 minutes.
Garnish with caperberries.
Serve with Herbed Couscous and a green salad.