Who doesn’t love a one-dish dinner? Protein, fruit, veggies, nuts and carbs – this recipe has it all. You don’t need to wait for fresh figs to show up at the grocery to make this – just use dried figs, soak them, and drain and it’s every bit as delicious. This is perfect for a cold weekend when you don’t feel like cooking. Pop this in the oven on Friday night and you can nibble all weekend long. Ihope you love it!
Serves: 4
Prep time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- half of the juice of 1 lemon, and the zest, finely grated
- 2 sprigs rosemary leaves, chopped
- 2/3 cup basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 6 ounces chicken stock
- 8 fresh figs, though dried figs will work if soaked first
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey (heather is especially nice for this)
- 1 medium free-range chicken
Directions
- Heat butter and ½ tablespoon olive oil in pan and cook onion at medium heat until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook another 4 minutes, stirring in lemon zest, rosemary, rice and pine nuts. Add stock and lemon juice and salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil until the rice looks pitted. Cover pan, turn heat to low and cook until rice is nearly tender and stock is absorbed.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Snip the stalks off the gifs and discard. Halve each fruit and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan. Saute figs quickly on each side and add balsamic vinegar and honey and cook until figs are glazed. Add to the rice mixture.
- Season the chicken well inside and spoon the rice mixture into the cavity. Put chicken in a roasting pan and pour remaining olive oil over it, rubbing into the skin.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for one hour and 20 minutes. Chicken should be golden and the rice tender. Serve with cooking juices.
