Roast Chicken with Curry Braised Potatoes
Browned chicken thighs roasted over curry-spiced braised potatoes and leek, served with a yoghurt mint dill sauce and a fresh green salad.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1hour
INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs
1kg potatoes, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
200ml chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
handful cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil, for cooking
For the sauce
200ml plain yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad
2 cups fresh parsley leaves
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
handful fresh mint leaves
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a large roasting pan, heat some oil over medium heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the potatoes and leek. Sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Sprinkle the garlic, curry powder and garam masala over the vegetables. Stir well to coat.
Pour in the chicken stock, ensuring it covers the base evenly. Place the pan in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are halfway tender.
Remove from the oven and place the browned chicken thighs on top of the potatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes.
Return to the oven and cook for another 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 75°C.
While the chicken and potatoes cook, make the yoghurt sauce. In a blender, combine the mint, dill, sugar and red wine vinegar with a small amount of the yoghurt. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped and well incorporated, then stir through the remaining yoghurt.
For the salad, combine the parsley, spinach, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well.
Once the chicken and potatoes are done, remove from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before serving with the sauce and salad.
HINTS
Browning the thighs before they go on top of the potatoes builds the flavour and gives the skin a head start on crisping.
Getting the potatoes halfway tender before the chicken goes on means everything finishes at the same time.
The yoghurt sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge - it only gets better as the herbs infuse.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 15500 kJ (3700 cal)
Protein: 220 g
Fat: 195 g
Saturated fat: 50 g
Carbohydrate: 210 g
Sugars: 20 g
Sodium: 3400 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.