1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup dark brown soft sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
675g dried figs
1 lemon, sliced
12 chicken thighs
salt to taste
small handful chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Preparation method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, sugar, vinegar and water; set aside.

Place figs and lemon slices in the bottom of a large baking tray. Arrange chicken thighs on top, then pour vinegar mixture over chicken. Finally, sprinkle with salt and dried
parsley to taste.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, basting frequently (turn figs if they begin to brown).

With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, figs and lemon slices from baking dish and place on a warm platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, then pour over chicken as sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oven to 400 F.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place in a large roasting pan, skin side up.

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, sugar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the olive oil. Rub evenly over the chicken and roast until cooked through, 45 minutes. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

4 oz. thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
3 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks
3/4 lb. fresh cremini mushrooms, halved if large
1/2 lb. baby carrots
1/2 lb. frozen pearl onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary

In a large fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off the drippings into a small heatproof bowl, leaving about 1 Tbs. drippings in the pan. Set the pan, reserved drippings and bacon aside.

In a sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the beef chunks and shake to coat evenly with the flour mixture. Return the fry pan to medium-high heat. When the drippings are hot, add half of the beef chunks and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef chunks, adding the reserved drippings if needed. Scatter the mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic on top.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the wine, broth and tomato paste. Mix well, bring to a boil and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Pour the contents of the pan over the vegetables and beef. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or the low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours. The beef should be very tender. Stir in the reserved bacon and the rosemary. Cook, uncovered, on the high-heat setting for 10 minutes more to thicken the sauce slightly. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6.