CREATIVE COOKING IN THE TIME OF CORONA
a blog about food
Spiced Chicken & Potato Traybake
If ever there was a time we needed comfort food, it's now. A soul-shattering
US election running parallel with an out-of-control pandemic and a worldwide economic meltdown calls for some seriously delicious home-cooked goodness and maybe a cocktail or three! Last night I made this - not the most photogenic dish I must admit but believe me when I tell you, it was great. In fact, Mike declared it was the best chicken he had ever tasted. Not that he's biased or anything. Using Indian spices (but not spicy in the fiery sense) this dish, accompanied by some wilted baby spinach and, for me, a sweet and hot chilli jam which I brought back from Borough Market in London the last time we were there, was simply delicious. Just the big hug we needed. 🤗🤗
INGREDIENTS
4 medium-sized Desiree potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
pinch ground turmeric
1 tsp sea salt flakes
a few grinds of black pepper
2 limes, finely grated zest and juice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
splash of grapeseed oil
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TO SERVE
1 packet fresh baby spinach, washed
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch sea salt and black pepper
splash of olive oil
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chilli jam or your favourite mango chutney
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METHOD
Heat your oven to 200C (non-fan 220C).
Toss your cubed potatoes into a large, shallow roasting pan.
Sprinkle with all the spices, salt and pepper, lime juice and zest and the minced garlic.
Toss well with your hands.
Nestle your chicken thighs in between the potatoes.
Splash some grapeseed oil (about 2 tbsp) over the whole lot and toss again with your hands (or a spatula if you don't want to get your hands oily).
Make sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up and the potatoes surround them.
Sprinkle a little more sea salt flakes and pepper onto the chicken.
Roast in the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until your chicken looks lovely and brown like the photo and the juices run clear.
In the last few minutes of roasting, put your washed, but not dried, spinach leaves into a wok.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the top along with some sea salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil.
On a high heat, toss the spinach until it has wilted but not gone mushy.
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Serve immediately with the spiced chicken and potatoes and the condiment of your choice.