You'll need:

8 chicken thighs, or 4 chicken legs
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
12 shallots, peeled & left whole
250ml white wine
300ml hot water
1 tin haricot beans, drained & rinsed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
2 wide strips orange peel
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
1 handful roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons small black olives

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Put the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken thighs or legs in the flour to coat all over.
3. In a large frying pan or oven proof casserole fry the chicken in the olive oil a few pieces at a time until it is golden all over. Remove the chicken to a plate and continue until they are all done.
4. In the same pan, adding a little more oil if necessary, fry the whole peeled shallots until they are browning slightly. Add the crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute, taking care not to let it burn or it will turn bitter.
5. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and stirring and scraping the bottom to release all the sticky caramelized bits.
6. Return the chicken to the pan, along with the hot water. If you started browning the meat and shallots in a frying pan this is the time to transfer it to an oven proof casserole.
7. Add the haricot beans, tinned tomatoes, herbs and orange peel and bring everything to the boil.
8. Cover and cook in the oven for 1.5-2 hours, until the chicken is really tender and falling off the bone. Remove from the oven and scatter over the parsley or olives.
9. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, polenta or buttered couscous, or even chunks of bread torn from a crusty loaf.

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