Braised Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 red onions, finely sliced  
  
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped  
  
• 100g carrots, diced into 1-2 cm cubes  
  
• 100g potatoes, diced into 3cm cubes  
  
• 6 free range or organic skinless chicken thighs 
  
• 3 heaped teaspoons chipotle paste (or 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika) 
  
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses or dark brown sugar   
  
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander  
  
• 2 limes 
• 800g tinned chopped tomatoes 
  
• 4 sprigs coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped   
  
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)  
  
• Tortillas and wholegrain rice to serve  
  

Method

• Preheat oven to 200˚C/ Gas Mark 6  
  
• Scatter three quarters of the sliced onions into your dish, followed by the potatoes, carrots and garlic. Place the chicken thighs evenly across the dish on top of the vegetables and season well with salt and pepper.  
  
• Mix the chipotle paste (or hot smoked paprika if using) with the molasses, ground coriander and juice from one lime in a bowl. Coat each of the chicken thighs with a teaspoon of the mixture, saving the rest.
  
• Pour the tomatoes evenly around the chicken, finishing the dish with a drizzle of the remaining chipotle mixture.  
  
• Place in a hot oven to cook for 45 minutes. When the sauce is bubbling, and the chicken has begun to brown on top your dish is ready to serve.  
  
• Scatter the remaining onions over the top. Serve sprinkled with smoked paprika (if using) and fresh coriander. Serve with lime on the side and some tortillas or whole grain rice.  
  

Cook's Notes

• Love your leftovers! This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to four days and tastes even better with time. Reheat until it is piping hot all the way through. 
  
• If you have any leftover cooked chicken, you can shred it and add to the dish instead of the chicken thighs. Allow 50g cooked meat per person.  
  
• Don’t waste your herb stalks! Finely chop them and add them to your dish to add depth of flavour and save waste.