A hearty, comforting dish, cooked in one pot, easy to make and inexpensive. Chicken braised with prunes and shallots is a kid friendly family meal that is sure to go down a treat.
If you are using chicken thighs with bone in, skip to the next step. But if you are using boneless chicken thighs, tie them with a string to avoid them from opening up.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear in pan with skin side down on high heat. When the chicken has taken colour, turn them around with a pair of tongs and keep cooking for another 2 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan and keep aside. Add the shallots to the pan and sear until they are golden brown.
Add the tomato paste and roast lightly in the pan. Deglaze the pan with sherry.
Place the chicken back into the pan and add the prunes, thyme, balsamic vinegar and chicken stock. Simmer on low heat.
After 15 minutes remove the chicken from the pan and reduce the sauce on high heat for about 5 minutes.
Turn down the heat to low and add crème fraiche. Mix cornflour with 2 tablespoon of cold water and add to the sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat again.
Add the chicken back into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.