Wild Thyme Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

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Thinking of the busy ones...

Family meals, don’t have to be so time consuming,

there are options out there that can make life so much easier especially for the busy home cook. This is one of these recipes. It does not require massive fuss, or complex prep, yet there is no compromising on the flavour here whatsoever! While the food is roasting you can go finish up on all the other stuff you need to get done that day.

Chicken is an all time favourite. Most people like chicken, and it is especially popular with kids. The roasting process, intensifies the flavours, making chicken all the more delicious. This method of cooking generates sauce that you can use to baste the chicken as its roasting and also to eventually flavour the potatoes when serving. Using chicken on the bone, creates a richness and depth to the overall flavour, kind of like a broth really, which is normally used to layer flavours of any dish. This self-saucing, super moist, rich chicken will delight the taste buds of all your family members and is super healthy too.

Tip – For days when you have time and are feeling fancy, instead of going for all chicken pieces, you can go for the French chicken supreme cut. This cut allows you to plate this chicken dish beautifully. You can either ask your butcher to prepare the cut for you when buying the chicken or you can carry it out yourself (I have included a video for you below that takes you through the process).

Once cut, you will prepare the chicken as you would the whole chicken. However, you will have to adjust the roasting time (35 minutes).

The key step in this recipe is to marinade the chicken for at least 1 1/2 hours before roasting. Marination here will tenderise the chicken and the flavours will be better absorbed than if not marinated. Here is how it’s done:

Ingredients

Serves: 4
  • 1 whole free range organic chickens, cut into 4 pieces each,rinsed with cold water and pat dried
  • 8 garlic cloves with skin intact

For Lemon & Wild Thyme Marinade

  • Rind of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • a small bunch of fresh wild thyme
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1/4 cup DS Premium Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • a dash of balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • Salt & Black pepper to taste

For The Roasted Potatoes

  • 1 KG small potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp DS Premium Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp DS Pink Himalayan Salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tbsp DS Organic Dried Zaatar
  • 6 whole garlic cloves with skin in tact

 

Clean and cut your chicken into pieces. Pat dry and place in a large glass bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients, except the olive oil. Once mixed, drizzle the olive oil in a thin steady stream, while mixing in order for the oil to incorporate and for the marinade to be emulsified and not split.

Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and rub to coat. Cover and leave to marinade in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours.

Once done, transfer the chickens basting with the marinade in a deep baking dish. Add the whole cloves of garlic and roast in a 400F-200C, covered for 30 minutes, to create sauce.

After 30 minutes, remove the cover and roast for 1 hour extra, basting occasionally with pan sauces.

When ready to serve, transfer the chicken and garlic to the serving platter. Add the roasted potatoes to the platter and pour a little of the pan juices over all. the Serve immediately.

For making the roast potatoes

In a roasting pan, or baking dish, drizzle 1/2 the olive oil quantity and sprinkle with 1/2 the quantity of the paprika, salt, black pepper and zaatar. Add the potato wedges, and garlic cloves. Sprinkle all with the remaining half of all the ingredients. Toss slightly to evenly coat.

Roast in 400F-200C oven for 30 minutes (folding once to avoid sticking and burning) or until crisp and golden on the outside.

This recipe pairs very well with a mixed leaf Salad and a mustard based vinaigrette, or french dressing.

TIP – To know if your chicken is done

Different size birds, require different amounts of time to cook.The best and most accurate way to know if a roasted chicken is done, is by using a food thermometer. Inserted in the centre of the thigh and not touching the bone, the thermometer should register 165F (The safe minimum internal temperature of poultry). If you do not have a thermometer, then try to gently move the thigh of the chicken, if it moves freely without resistance, and its juices are clear then it is done.

For testing chicken breast doneness you will poke it with a knife and if the juices are clear that means it is done.

 

 

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