Crispy chicken thighs with white beans and tomato dressing

Method

1. To make the chicken, preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8.

2. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt. Flip them over, so they’re skin side down, and season the flesh side with the oregano and a few strips of lemon zest.

3. Add the olive oil to an oven-proof stainless steel or cast-iron frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken, skin side down.

4. Reduce the heat a little, add a pan weight or smaller pan to the top and allow the skin to render and crisp for 8–10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to rest.

5. Add the sourdough and garlic to the pan and sizzle in the oil until the sourdough is beginning to crisp, then flip.

6. Sit the chicken onto the bread, scatter in the olives and place in the oven for 10–12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the bread is nice and crisp.

7. While the chicken roasts, tip the beans into a saucepan with their cooking liquor and set over a medium heat. Bring them up to a bare simmer and then turn off the heat, you want them to be warm, not boiling hot.

8. To make the tomato dressing, use the coarse side of a box grater to grate the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving behind just the skins.

9. Season the pulp with plenty of salt and pepper, the olive oil and sherry vinegar.

10. To serve, drain the beans and spoon into shallow bowls.

11. Liberally spoon over the tomato dressing, carve the chicken into strips and sit over the top.

12. Dress with the garlicky chicken oil and tear the basil over top. Serve the roasted chicken sourdough on the side.