-
1
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
-
2
Season the chicken pieces well all over with salt and pepper.
-
3
You'll probably need to sear them in two batches.
-
4
Heat the olive oil in large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the chicken and sear, turning the pieces several times, until they are golden brown all over.
-
5
Transfer, skin side up, to an oven dish or roasting tin.
-
6
Now, to deglaze the frying pan, pour in the wine and let it bubble over the heat, stirring well to scrape up any bits of caramelized chicken from the bottom.
-
7
Pour the liquid from the pan into the oven dish (but not directly over the chicken).
-
8
Add the lemon juice and give the chicken skin an extra scattering of salt and pepper.
-
9
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
-
10
Take the dish from the oven, uncover and add the tomatoes, nestling them, cut side up as far as possible, among the chicken pieces.
-
11
Roast, uncovered, for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the tomatoes are soft and blistered.
-
12
Scatter over most of the tarragon and toss to mix.
-
13
Rest for a few minutes so the tarragon flavour infuses the juices.
-
14
Sprinkle over the remaining chopped tarragon and the dish is ready to serve.
-
15
It's good with new potatoes, mash, rice or bread.
-
16
If you can't lay your hands on fresh tarragon, try this with flat-leaf parsley - using about three times as much.
-
17
Or try roughly shredded sorrel leaves.
-
18
In each case, the effect is quite different, but still delicious.
-
19
The dish also works really well with pheasant in place of chicken.
