I think I am going to bombard everyone with wild garlic recipes it is my favourite foraging ingredient. One it tastes delicious and two it means SPRING is here! As you spend all that time picking them you want to have something decadent. This is simple comforting but I think also a treat. It’s a great one pot and the balance of flavours are stunning. It’s delicate, sweet, tasty and creamy. As it uses wild garlic it is such a crowd pleasure too.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 chicken thighs skin on and bones in
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 leeks, white part only medium sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed (optional)
• 300ml cider
• 300 ml chicken stock
• Good handful wild garlic, roughly chopped, 2 tbsp set aside
• Tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp cream
• Good crack of black pepper
• Sea salt
• Some more wild garlic for garnish

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 185 degrees fan
2. In an oven proof pan melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped leeks and smashed garlic cloves. Sweat down until soft on a medium heat, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cider and on a gentle bubble reduce for about 2 minutes to remove the alcohol.
4. Add the chicken stock, wild garlic and nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce making sure the skin isn’t submerged. Sprinkle each chicken thigh with a pinch of sea salt. Pop in the oven uncovered for about an hour or until the skin is crispy.
5. Remove from oven and remove the crispy chicken thighs and discard the crushed garlic cloves.
6. Put the pan back on the stove. Add the butter beans, cream, pepper and salt if needed (my stock seasoned the sauce) so no salt needed) Bring to a slight boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer add the thighs back into the pan and warm through for a couple of minutes. Serve with some of the reserved garlic leaves and enjoy!