Chicken and beans are two of the foods I grew up with, and were often cooked in one pot and designed to be shared. It’s the kind of cooking we do at my restaurant Lolo: generous, relaxed and made to be eaten together. March sits between the seasons, when we still need comfort, but also start to look for freshness, too, and this stew feels just right for the moment. As the days get longer and spring starts to show itself, it is warming without being heavy, while the mojo verde lifts everything and gives the dish energy.

Chicken, white bean and saffron stew with hazelnut mojo verde

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 4-6

1 tbsp olive oil
3 banana shallots, peeled and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 pinch saffron strands
Sea salt and black pepper
1 large chicken (1.8-2kg)

200ml white wine
200ml good chicken stock
700g jar white beans, drained

For the mojo verde
50g flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, peeled
50g toasted hazelnuts
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
100ml extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the oil in a large ovenproof casserole for which you have a lid, set it over a medium heat, then gently fry the shallots for 10 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic, oregano, paprika and saffron, and fry, stirring, for a minute more.

Season the chicken all over, inside and out, put it on top of the onions, then transfer to the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stock, cover the pot and return it to the oven. Turn down the heat to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and roast for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the chicken is cooked through. Uncover the pan, stir in the beans and roast uncovered for a further 10 minutes, until the skin of the chicken is golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, put all the mojo ingredients in a blender, season generously, then blitz or pulse to a coarse paste.

Lift the chicken out of the pan and on to a warm platter to rest for 10 minutes. Pour any resting juices back into the bean pan, then simmer the beans over a low heat for five to 10 minutes, until they start to break down and thicken the juice.

Carve up the chicken and serve with the juicy beans and spoonfuls of the hazelnut mojo verde.