Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional).
Step 2
Place the chicken pieces on a tray, skin side up, and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of the dried Italian herbs.
Step 3
Heat an ovenproof saucepan or large casserole dish over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan and fry the chicken thighs, skin side down first, in batches for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove and set aside.
Step 4
Using the same pan, add a little more olive oil, if needed, and cook the onion for 3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 5
Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of Italian herbs, the diced tomatoes, and the roasted red pepper strips. Mix well to combine.
Step 6
Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the vegetable and tomato mixture, skin side up. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminium foil and bake for 45-55 minutes. For crisper skin, remove the cover during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking and increase the oven temperature slightly.
Step 7
Once cooked, remove from the oven. Scatter on the olives, season generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and add fresh basil leaves, if using.
Step 8
Serve hot with toasted sourdough or rice, and a simple green salad.
