Clay Pot Chicken with Dates, Sucuk and Bulgur

Ingredients

• 2 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 2 ounces bulgur washed
• 1.5 cups chicken stock see 
• 2 pound chickens 
• 2  long chiles diced green seeded
• 1 stick cinnamon 
• 1 clove garlic sliced
• 1  level teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 4  medjool dates seeded cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2  long peppers green seeded cut into rings
• 2  long peppers red seeded cut into rings
• 2  onions red thick cut into rings
• 2 servings sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry generous
• 2  star anise 
• 3 sprigs thyme leaves 
• 2 ounces butter unsalted
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes diced seeded
• 2 ounces sucuk sliced
• 2 ounces sucuk sliced

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• casserole dish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the butter and extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy-based casserole dish. Gently sweat the onions, garlic, peppers and chiles with the cumin and cinnamon for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
3. Add the sherry, tomatoes, bulgur, chicken stock, cinnamon, star anise and thyme and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, then cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cut the chickens into quarters and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. In another heavy-based frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and brown the meat lightly all over.
6. Add the sucuk and fry until golden brown on both sides.
7. Transfer the poussins and sucuk to the casserole dish and tuck in the dates. Cover the pan and cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.
8. From Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey by Greg and Lucy Malouf. Text © Greg and Lucy Malouf; food photography © William Meppem. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.