Pan-fried chicken with fregola

Name: Pan-fried chicken with fregola
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp flour; 8-10 chicken pieces (thighs, legs or breast); 3 tbsp olive oil; 100g fregola*; 2 tbsp olive tapenade; 4 tomatoes, diced, or 400g canned chopped tomatoes; 10 cherry tomatoes, halved; 100ml white wine; 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 2 anchovy fillets, chopped; 1 tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp fresh oregano

Jill Dupleix

Updated May 15, 2017, first published May 23, 2012

easyTime:< 30 mins

Fregola is the time-poor cook's best friend; the couscous-like Sardinian semolina pearls cook in no more than 10 minutes.

Ingredients

1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
8-10 chicken pieces (thighs, legs or breast)
3 tbsp olive oil
100g fregola*
2 tbsp olive tapenade
4 tomatoes, diced, or 400g canned chopped tomatoes
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
100ml white wine
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp fresh oregano

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Mix salt and flour and use to coat chicken pieces. Heat one tablespoon oil in a large heavy pan and fry chicken pieces, a few at a time, skin-side down, until golden, turning once. Place skin-side up on a roasting tray and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked.
Cook fregola in a pot of simmering salted water for 10 minutes until al dente and drain well. Whisk the tapenade with one tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
Combine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, white wine, one tablespoon olive oil, garlic, anchovy, capers and dried oregano in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add the cooked fregola and heat through.
Divide between four warmed plates, arrange chicken on top and serve with olive tapenade and fresh oregano.
*You'll find fregola in good delis and gourmet food stores.