Sautèed chicken with garlic and herbs

This dish is so simple, and so good. It is best served with crispy-skinned baked potatoes and a simple green salad. If you make your own stock (which I thoroughly recommend doing) this is a dish where the flavour of good-quality, homemade stock will really shine through. It's also very good with tarragon rather than thyme.

Serves 4 as a main course, with potatoes and salad

4 large pieces of chicken - breasts or legs are best, preferably with skin on

60g butter

olive oil

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

Several sprigs of thyme

200ml chicken stock

200ml white wine

Heat half the butter in a deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat with a tiny splash of olive oil to stop it burning. Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.

Whilst the chicken is browning, crush the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife and strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs.

When the chicken is browned, turn the heat down to low and add the garlic and thyme leaves to the pan along with the rest of the butter. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add the stock and wine to the pan, turn the heat up a little, bring to the boil, then continue cooking gently, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half.  About 10 minutes or so.

Lift the chicken pieces out with a slotted spoon and divide between four plates. Spoon over the sauce from the pan.

Serve with crispy-skinned baked potatoes and a green salad.