Italian chicken with ham, basil & beans

Italian chicken with ham, basil & beans

A great recipe for the end of the summer, using sweet roasted tomatoes and garlic. Serve with the best crusty bread you can get you hands on

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 15 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pinch off 8 sprigs from the basil (about 3 leaves each per sprig) and lay one on top of each chicken thigh. Wrap each thigh in a piece of ham, with the ends tucked underneath.
  2. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin over two of the burners on the hob. Add the chicken and fry for about 4 mins or until the ham is just crisped and the chicken is lightly golden. Turn and repeat.
  3. Meanwhile, cut the garlic bulbs in half around the middle and halve the tomatoes if small, quarter them if they're big. Pick the leaves from the rest of the basil. Once the chicken has browned on both sides, add all of the tomatoes, half of the basil and the wine. Season then cover with foil and leave to cook slowly in the oven for 40 mins.
  4. Take out of the oven and turn the heat up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the foil from the pan and stir the beans into the tomatoey juices. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 mins until the tomatoes, chicken and garlic are starting to crisp around the edges and the chicken is very tender. Just before serving, tear the remaining basil roughly then stir through or scatter over the pan.
Try

Wine

The quality of the wine makes all the difference in this recipe, so only use one you'd be happy to drink.

Per serving

455 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 22g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 6g, sugar 10g, salt 1.79 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-32

  • Binder photo KasiaF

    25 May 2011

    KasiaF commented on this recipe

    Delicious! Used fewer tomatoes (my kids aren't keen) but added red onion, red pepper, courgette and aubergine to the recipe to up the veg count. Might also add some black olives at the end next time.

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  • Binder photo Jo-Jo

    12 August 2011

    Jo-Jo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was wonderful....I almost had to barricade the kitchen, the smell of garlic, tomatoes and basil was delicious....added black olives as suggested earlier which worked wonderfully...plates licked clean!!!

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  • Binder photo asheal

    03 November 2011

    asheal commented on this recipe

    This is delicious and dead easy! One question, how much of this could I do in advance? The whole recipe and then re-heat?

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  • Binder photo asheal

    03 November 2011

    asheal rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    This is delicious and dead easy! One question, how much of this could I do in advance? The whole recipe and then re-heat?

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  • Binder photo asheal

    03 November 2011

    asheal commented on this recipe

    This is delicious and dead easy! One question, how much of this could I do in advance? The whole recipe and then re-heat?

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  • Binder photo ChloeCharlotte

    11 November 2011

    ChloeCharlotte rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I love this recipe. Perfect dinner party food - guests can just help themselves. I used skinless chicken legs for this recipe instead of thighs - but worked very well. The beans, tomatoes, garlic, red wine and basil are wonderful flavours together. I served with crusty bread and some baby potatoes fried in low fat spray and garlic.

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  • Binder photo steven83

    24 November 2011

    steven83 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm delicious!

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  • Binder photo Kasia

    12 December 2011

    Kasia rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Well, it looked very impressive but I didn't have fresh basil at hand, so had to use French basil sauce (pretty much like pesto). Maybe that's the reason why the dish turned out quite heavy and strong-flavoured. Will try to make it again, this time with fresh spice and hopefully it will taste better!

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  • Binder photo dustxs

    14 June 2012

    dustxs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Amazing despite how simple it was to make, and healthy to boot. Served this for a dinner party with the Mediterranean Sardine Salad and got lots of compliments. Leftovers even better the next day, just added a side salad dressed in balsamic. I didn't have a hob-proof roasting tin, so did this instead (also healthier I suppose): brush tin lightly with olive oil, put prepared chicken thighs in then brushed them lightly with oil (total less than 1 tsp oil). Put in preheated 210C fan oven for 10 min to crisp up, then turn oven down to 140C fan, add tomatoes etc. and continue as per recipe.

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  • Binder photo KarenB

    11 August 2012

    KarenB rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious and easy recipe and enjoyed by all the family. Will definitely be making this again soon!

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  • Binder photo Mariin

    17 October 2012

    Mariin rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really good Saturday-Sunday lunch recipe. I prepared thighs earlier in the morning and once all was in the oven I was free to go and socialise with guests. I used less tomatoes and 2 cans of beans as family is not that keen on roasted tomatoes.

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  • Binder photo Tracey

    02 December 2012

    Tracey rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this as part of my menu for an Italian themed dinner party. I was unable to get a variety of tomatoes so substituted some with some red, yellow and orange sweet peppers. It was absolutely delicious and a dish that I will certainly cook again.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 15 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

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Per serving

455 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 22g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 6g, sugar 10g, salt 1.79 g

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