I made this for a friend last night. It is based on a recipe by our favourite cook who has produced a new book of ‘easier’ recipes, but I can’t mention him by name or the web police come knocking. However, I found the sticky miso/maple syrup sauce burned on the bottom of the pan, so I have adapted it to try and keep it soft and edible (although I see I misread there recipe slightly)! Still, it was good, and I served with another adapted recipe, purple sprouting broccoli with a peanut, ginger, garlic & soy glaze.Plus some Asian dauphinoise I found in the freezer.

Serves 2

2 chicken legs, skin scored a few times
1 tsp sunflower oil
Salt
3/4 tbsp mirin
3/4 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tbsp soy sauce
20g white miso
1 inch  ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/2 lime, juiced, zest cut off thin strips
bunch coriander stems, chopped into 6cm-long pieces
1 red chilli, trimmed and cut in half lengthways
3 spring onions, trimmed and cut in half lengthways

Method

Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the chicken in a large bowl with the oil and half a teaspoon of salt, mix together to coat and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high flame, then sear the chicken legs on one side for three to four minutes, until the skin turns golden brown, then turn over, cook for another three to four minutes and transfer to a clean bowl.

Put the mirin, maple syrup, soy, miso, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the chicken and stir to coat.

Tip the chicken into a high-sided, 25cm x 30cm baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, Remove the foil and, using tongs, raise each chicken leg one by one and put some coriander stems, chillies and spring onion underneath, returning each leg to the pan cooked side down.  My mistake was I put it on top of the chillies and spring onions at the first stage, so they were far too long in the oven – talking too much!

Bake the chicken uncovered for another 15-20  minutes, turning the legs again halfway through and basting a couple of times. The chicken will by now be golden brown, sticky and tender, and the chillies and spring onions will be soft.

To serve, put a chicken leg on each plate, surround it with the coriander, chilli and spring onion mix, and drizzle over the sauce.

As you can see my chilli & sprig onion mix was rather charred!