Chicken and aubergine bake

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Cut the chicken thighs in half. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces on all sides, then cook for 5 minutes. Drain on kitchen towel. Add the aubergine slices to the pan and brown well on both sides

Arrange the chicken over the base of a 1–1.5 litre baking dish. Add a layer each of aubergine and mozzarella, then the tomato sauce on top. Scatter with the Parmigiano Reggiano and breadcrumbs

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and spoon off any excess liquid. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the top is golden, and the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then serve with a green salad, and ciabatta to mop up the juices.