Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 3 1/2-pound chicken, but into 8 pieces
6 ounces pitted prunes
1/3 cup black raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 medium onion, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup whole almonds
1 1-inch-thick slice good quality white bread
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet and saute the chicken until golden. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a platter. In the same skillet, saute the prunes, raisins and 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts until the fruit is plump and the nuts are golden. With a slotted spoon, remove the fruits and nuts to the platter of chicken. Brown the onion in the skillet and add the tomatoes. Cook rapidly until all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the stock, return the chicken, fruits and pine nuts, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven for 12 minutes. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet and saute' the bread until golden.

In a food processor, grind the almonds, bread and remaining pine nuts to create the picada (roux). Stir into the cooking liquid in the skillet along with the salt and pepper. Cook another 10 minutes and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve immediately, directly from the casserole. Serves 6.

Each serving contains 542 calories; 25 gm fat; 412 mg sodium; 125 mg cholesterol.