Chicken comfort: A twist with bacon and bread sauce

    
• 4 servings
• preparation 10 minutes
• baking 50 minutes

Ingredients:

                    
• 1 onion
• 625 mL whole milk
• 2 teaspoons English mustard
• 4 small bay leaves
• 2 large eggs
• ½ nutmeg
• 2 cloves
• 300 g white bread
• 4 large chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
• olive oil
• 2 slices of smoked bacon

Method:

    
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the onion, cut it in half, and slice it into thin half-moons. Place them in a baking sheet measuring approximately 25 x 30 cm, pour in the milk, add mustard and bay leaves. Crack in the eggs and add finely grated nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Trim and reserve the bread crusts, then tear the bread into pieces and add them to the tray. Mix well and mash together all the ingredients. Submerge the bread crusts in the mixture, then arrange them around the edges of the tray.
3. Rub the chicken thighs with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place them on the tray, skin side up, and add the halved bacon slices. Bake for about 50 minutes, until everything is nicely golden. Serve with seasonal green vegetables.

For vegetarians

Break up 400 g of small cauliflower into large florets, keeping the nice leaves attached. Toss the cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use it to replace the chicken and bacon. Sprinkle with 85 g of cheddar, cover the tray with aluminum foil, and bake as above - remove the foil halfway through baking.

Per serving:

              
• Calories 691 kcal
• fats 32.7 g
• saturated fats 10.9 g
• proteins 40.6 g
• carbohydrates 59.1 g
• sugar 14.4 g
• salt 2.5 g
• fiber 4.1 g

The recipe is from Jamie Oliver's latest book, "Simply Jamie: Fast & Simple Food," published by Penguin Books © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited 2024 (Simply Jamie). Photo: © David Loftus, 2024.