Clay-Pot Chicken in Fig Leaves

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bones from 8 large skin-on chicken thighs. If you don’t live in a figgy climate, rinse some brined grape leaves from a jar.

   Step 2

   In a mortar, make a rough paste of rosemary (about cup loosely piled leaves), 5 large garlic cloves, a few good anchovy fillets, and dried red chile flakes to taste. If you have had trouble using a mortar and pestle in the past, try using it in tandem with a knife and cutting board: coarsely chop the rosemary (about 2 tablespoons chopped), smash the garlic with the side of a knife and give it a rough chop along with the anchovies, and then combine it all with the chile flakes and a little salt in the mortar, mashing it for 3 or 4 minutes. It can all be done on the board with a knife, but using the mortar will create a magic fragrance and better texture. Add a little olive oil and pound it in to make a coarse, spreadable paste.

   Step 3

   Generously season the meat with salt and pepper inside and out, smear an eighth of the paste on the skinless side of each thigh, and roll it into a little bundle, wrapping the skin around to cover as much of the thigh as possible.

   Step 4

   Now for the leaves: Fig leaves are shaped like a fat hand. Start by placing a leaf, top side down with the fingers away from you, on a flat surface. Place a chicken bundle, seam side down, at the base of the palm and begin to roll it up, starting with the thumb and pinky and gathering the other fingers snugly, envelope-style, as you go. Place the packets, seam side down, in a lightly oiled clay or cast-iron baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender and the juices are light pink.