Yet another Ottolenghi recipe that is beyond delicious. Take the two days to marinade the chicken to maximize the flavor and tenderize the meat.Don’t cut corners.
Serves 4 generously
8 whole chicken legs of a good size, skin on
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
About 1/2 oz fresh oregano, torn
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pitted green olives
2 oz capers, plus 2 tbsp of their juices
3 oz Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthways
2 bay leaves
5 fl oz dry white wine
1 tbsp date syrup or treacle
Salt and black pepper
Place the chicken in a large, non-reactive bowl and add all of the ingredients, apart from the wine and date syrup, along with 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for 2 days, stirring the ingredients a few times during the process. (The other thing you can do is get a very large plastic bag that self seals and use that to marinate everything)
Preheat the oven to 350F
Spread the chicken quarters out on a large roasting dish along with all the marinade ingredients. Whisk together the wine and date syrup and pour over the meat.
Place in the oven and cook for 50 mins, basting 2 or 3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, transfer everything to a large platter, sprinkle with some fresh oregano leaves and serve