Serves 6
4 lb (1.8kg) oven-ready chicken, jointed
3 tablespoons oil
11/2 lb (700g) ripe tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic
6 anchovy fillets
1/4 pint (150m1) dry white wine
1 teaspoon concentrated tomato puree 1 level teaspoon castor sugar
freshly milled pepper
12 stoned black olives
chopped fresh basil, to garnish
Trim the chicken pieces. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add chicken pieces and fry over moderate heat for 10 minutes to brown on both sides. Scald the tomatoes and peel away the skins. Remove seeds and chop tomato flesh coarsely. Peel the garlic (flavour is milder if you leave it whole) and chop the anchovies.
Add the wine and tomato puree to the frying pan and bring to the boil. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, castor sugar and a seasoning of freshly milled pepper. Cover with a pan lid and cook gently for a further 30 minutes. Add the anchovies and olives and heat through. Serve chicken with sauce from the pan and sprinkle with chopped basil. This is a summer recipe when basil is out of season use chopped parsley for colour or omit altogether.