Fiery upside-down pineapple chicken

Serves: 4

Prep time: 24 hours

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:  

• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• A thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs, or fresh or dried thyme, or rosemary
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes or 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder
• A few pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• A good grind of black pepper
• A few pinches of white pepper
• 2-4 cloves
• 2 tbsp light cooking oil
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 can (435g) Pineapple Slices (we recommend Del Monte Pineapple Slices in Juice)
• 8 skin-on chicken thighs

Method:

1. Peel and dice the onion and garlic and slice the ginger. Put it all in a bullet blender/food processor. Add the herbs, lemon juice, chilli, cinnamon, nutmeg, soy sauce, black and white pepper, cloves, cooking oil, and sugar (or any other sweetener) to taste. Blitz with the pineapple juice from the can to form a smooth paste.
2. Once the marinade is made, pop your chicken thighs into an airtight container with a lid, or a sealable freezer bag, and pour the marinade over. Seal tightly and shake generously to coat. Leave to marinate for up to 24 hours – no longer though, as the acid in the lemon juice can start to cook the chicken if it’s left too long! Give it a shake every now and then to re-coat. Transfer the pineapple to a fridge-safe container, bowl, or bag to use in the cooking stage.
3. When the chicken is marinaded, turn your oven on to 190 degrees Celsius, or gas mark 5. Transfer the chicken to a tightly-fitting roasting dish, skin side down. Pour all of the marinade over the chicken evenly and pop a pineapple ring onto each thigh. Add an extra grind of pepper, then pop the tray into the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes to cook. Oven temperatures may vary, so ensure the chicken is cooked through.

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