Quick chicken casserole with walnut pesto

Name: Chicken casserole recipe with walnut pesto
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 chicken legs, or 1 whole chicken, jointed; 1 tbsp honey; 2 red onions, each peeled and cut into eight wedges, and tossed in a little olive oil; Walnut pesto (see below); Seeds from ½ pomegranate; Salt; Pomegranate molasses (optional); Leaves from a large bunch of parsley; 110g shelled walnuts; 110ml olive oil; Salt

Xanthe Clay's quick chicken casserole recipe with walnut pesto is ready in just 35 minutes. Walnut and pomegranate is a classic combination. Eat it by itself or add couscous. Delicious.

By Xanthe Clay

6 January 2022

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Walnut and pomegranate is a classic combination, usually in a Middle Eastern faisinjan - a pheasant, duck or chicken casserole. This is a simpler version of that partnership, cooked for less time, and using fewer ingredients, but with the same flavour notes. Eat it by itself or add couscous. Delicious.

This pesto packs a big flavour punch; earthy, nutty and ferric from the iron-rich parsley. It is good spooned over baked white fish or mixed through pasta as well.

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Taken from The Contented Cook by Xanthe Clay (Kyle Books, £19.99)

A toad in the hole recipe by Mary Berry

Recipe notes