SERVES 4

Mark Sargeant, my head chef at Claridge’s and general right-hand man, considers this his desert-island dish. The braised peas and onions are similar to “petits pois à la française” – a French classic that even featured on his retro wedding menu. As they are the stars of the show, do make sure to use good-quality, free-range chicken legs – battery chickens simply will not do.

4 large corn-fed chicken legs, each 300-350g
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A small handful of thyme sprigs
1 fat garlic clove, skin on, lightly crushed
20g butter

For the braised peas and onions
25g butter
200g baby or pickling onions, peeled
A few sprigs of thyme
600g peas, thawed if frozen
2 heads of Little Gem lettuce, shredded

1 Cut off the knuckles from the chicken legs for neat presentation and trim off any excess fat. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. Season the chicken legs all over with salt and pepper. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add the thyme, garlic, butter and 150ml water to the pan. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan and braise for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender, turning the legs halfway through cooking.

2 Fifteen minutes before the chicken legs are ready, melt the butter in another pan and tip in the onions. Toss well and cook over a medium-to-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are tender. Add the thyme, peas and 150ml water. Season well and simmer for about 5-6 minutes until the peas are tender and the water has mostly cooked off. Add the lettuce and stir for another minute until it is just wilted.

3 Spread the braised peas and onions on a large serving platter and arrange the glazed chicken legs on top. Serve immediately.

Recipe taken from Cooking for Friends, published by HarperCollins on September 15. Text © Gordon Ramsay 2008

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