Chicken and Ribs

Our answer

The beauty of Nigella's Maple Chicken 'N' Ribs recipe (from Nigella Express) is that the recipe requires very little effort on the cook's part - just overnight marinating and a spell in the oven - but delivers a homey and flavourful feast. Accompaniments should probably be similarly low effort and hearty.

We would suggest baked potatoes as a side dish, particularly if chicken and ribs are to feed 8 rather than 6 people. Medium-sized baking potatoes will take 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours in the oven at 200c/400F so can be baked in the same oven as the chicken and ribs if your oven is large enough. Nigella's Universally Useful Blue Cheese Dressing (from Kitchen) goes very well with the potatoes and the meat, or sour cream and chives are a more traditional filling for the potatoes. If you don't have the oven space then some plain boiled or steamed rice would also work well.

We would also suggest Nigella's New Orleans Coleslaw (from Nigella Express) as a side dish. This can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated until needed, though we would suggest adding the pecan nuts just before serving as they can start to soften once they are in the salad.