Serves 4
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min

3 large onions, preferably sweet fresh ones or 2 x 390g cans Eazy fried onions
4tbsp vegetable oil
4 free-range chicken legs, jointed, or 8 thighs
3 garlic cloves, preferably new season
1tsp aniseed or fennel seed
1tsp turmeric
300ml Greek-style strained yoghurt
Small bunch fresh mint or 1tbsp dried mint

METHOD

Choose a large, heavy-bottomed, lidded Le Creuset-style pan. If using fresh onions, peel, halve and finely chop. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan over a medium-low heat, stir in the onions, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and cook for a further 10 minutes. If using Eazy onions, cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken, 4 pieces at a time, transferring to a plate as you go. Peel, chop then crush the garlic with 1/2 tsp salt to make a paste. Crush the aniseed or fennel as close to a powder as you can be bothered. Stir garlic, then aniseed/fennel and turmeric into the onion. Add 2 tbsp water. If liked (I do), remove the skin from the semi-cooked chicken and bury the joints in the onion gravy. Cook, covered, over a low heat, stirring halfway through, for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Beat the yoghurt (this stops it separating) and gradually beat most of it into the stew. Leave to simmer and infuse for a few minutes (or gently reheat later) before serving with the last-minute addition of a handful of finely chopped mint or 1 tbsp dried mint.

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