Baked Chicken Legs with Leeks & Butter Beans

Season the chicken all over with salt. Place a shallow, heavy bottom casserole dish over a medium high heat, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and brown off the chicken legs for 6 or 7 mins until golden on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside, leaving the oil and chicken fat in the pan.

Wash the leeks and remove the root and the tough outer layers. Finely slice the leeks, separating the darker greens from the whites/lighter greens. Set aside the darker greens for later. Peel the garlic.

Set the casserole dish over a medium heat and add the finely sliced leek whites/light greens and garlic cloves with a big pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 mins until soft and fragrant. Add the paprika and rosemary sprigs and cook for another minute then pour in the wine and leave it to reduce by half.

Tip in the tinned tomatoes and a very generous pinch of salt, then return the chicken to the pan. Bring the tomatoes to a simmer, place a lid on and reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 45 mins.

Meanwhile, make the gremolata. Trim and discard the first inch or so from the reserved dark green leek tops then finely mince the rest and add to a small bowl. Peel a couple of strips of lemon zest (if there’s a lot of pith on the back, carefully use the tip of a knife to remove it). Finely dice the lemon peel and add to the minced leeks along with the chopped almonds and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine and set aside.

When the cooking time is up for the tomatoes, add the drained butter beans and spinach, replace the lid and cook for another 5 mins until the spinach has wilted, then give everything a gentle stir.

Plate up, top with the gremolata and finish with a big squeeze of lemon juice.