roast chicken in a spicy yoghurt marinade
plus sides
julia child said “…my favorite remained the basic roast chicken. what a deceptively simple dish. i had come to believe that one can judge the quality of a cook by his or her roast chicken. above all, it should taste like chicken: it should be so good that even a perfectly simple, buttery roast should be a delight”. she’s right, there is something very perfect about a roast chicken. this recipe was born out of wanting to eat roast chicken but also wanting something a little different.
everything below is very interchangeable, i’ve tried the marinade on a whole chicken and chicken thighs and it works well on both. you may want to increase the ratios for a whole chicken, it just depends on how spicy you like your food! the sides are also super easy to swap in or out, any robust, leafy salad with a vinegary dressing would work well. the yoghurt slowly tenderizes the meat so you could marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge without incurring a rubbery or tough texture. however, if you’re pinched for time this method works just as well on a quick turn-around.
roast chicken in a spicy yoghurt marinade
ingredients
8 chicken thighs
225g natural yoghurt
5 echalion shallots
5 garlic cloves, minced
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp ground chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp evoo
1 tsp salt
a generous amount of cracked black pepper
method
1. pre-heat the oven to 180c (fan).
2. make the marinade and prepare the shallots; combine the yoghurt, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, spices, salt, pepper and evoo, mix and set aside. top and tail the shallots, peel away the skin and cut in half lengthways.
3. place the chicken in a lined baking tray and cover with the marinade.
4. to achieve a nice, crispy skin on the chicken i like to pan fry the thighs skin side down in a hot skillet before roasting. depending on the size of your skillet you might want to do this in batches. add a little neutral oil to the skillet and heat until very hot. add the chicken and fry for around 2 minutes or until crispy.
5. return the chicken to the baking tray, arrange the shallots around the chicken, drizzle with evoo and season. roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. i like to check on them at around 20 minutes in, at this point you can baste the meat.
6. once cooked let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve with the shallots and sides.
sides
potatoes
the key to getting these just right is to use a small and firm potato. the variety i find works best is fingerling potatoes. these potatoes naturally have a low starch content and once roasted have a smooth, buttery and mild flavour. to make cover the potatoes in a generous coating of evoo, salt, black pepper and fresh thyme. roast at 200 for 20 minutes and check, they should have started to brown and crisp. once they have reached the desired colour turn and continue to roast until the other sides are also brown and crisp. test one to make sure the flesh of the potato is soft and ready before serving.
chickpea and kale salad
i am so, so happy i stumbled upon this recipe by zaynab. i like to make the dressing with maille dijon mustard, for the vinegar i tend to use one by gimlet. at the moment i’m using their pineapple vinegar. it truly is the best kale salad. we make it all the time at home.
pan fried asparagus with feta
this is very simple! on a medium to high heat pan fry asparagus in sea salt, black pepper and evoo until the spears are charring on each side. finally, crumble over some feta and if you’re feeling extra fancy drizzle with hot honey.