We all like our home to be a sanctuary, a haven from our working life, where we can unwind a bit. We struggle. Our flat has become an extension of our work, with the constant washing of chef’s whites and trousers; our kitchen equipment and store cupboard always in danger of finding their way to work; our dining table covered with paperwork and recipes scribbled on scraps, waiting to be typed.
We suspect we are not alone in this predicament, but have stopped fighting it now and try to make the most of the situation. When we start cooking a tray of this dish before noon ready for lunchtime customers at our deli, we are hopeful that there’ll be a couple of portions left for our dinner at home. It doesn’t often happen but when it does, we take our work home with us in a takeaway container and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
An incredible variety of plums are available from late summer until autumn’s end, with lots of interesting flavours and colours. You can cook this dish as often as you like between mid-August and the end of October with a different variety every time: greengages, sweet mirabelles, spicy damsons… the results will be slightly different but always delicious; a good way to enjoy these seasonal treats. The fruits bake beautifully: the cooking heightens their subtle taste and turns them into a sweet, sour and savoury chutney that is a treat to eat with the roasted chicken, straight from the oven or a few hours later. This dish is incredibly simple to cook – just a mix and bake number – which should leave you with plenty of room to enjoy your hard-earned downtime.
Make the marinade by blitzing everything together in a food processor until you have a smooth puree. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and mix well to make sure they are evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate: a couple of hours will do the trick but you can leave it for up to 24 hours.
Heat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Place the celery, onion, garlic and half the plum quarters in a large roasting tray.
Top with the chicken thighs, skin-side up, and pour any remaining marinade over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the tray and baste everything well with the juices that have formed at the bottom.
Reduce the temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and return the chicken to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Add the remaining plum quarters. Sprinkle with the sugar and roast for a final 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste again and garnish with a few tarragon sprigs before serving.
