Marinating chicken in a Middle Eastern - inspired mixture of lemon, saffron, garlic and yogurt tenderises the meat and infuses the dish with elegantly fragrant flavours.
Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook55 mins
Total time1 hr 10 mins
Plusmarinating
Ingredients
1 pinch saffron threads
180g Greek yogurt
3 lemons, zest and juice of 2, 1 sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 chicken legs
40g pistachios
750g new potatoes
1 large onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
½ 25g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves torn
Method
In a large bowl, mix the saffron with 1 tbsp just-boiled water, then add the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken legs and stir to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6. On a small baking tray, roast the pistachios for 5 minutes, then roughly chop and set aside. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, then carefully cut into quarters. Spread out in a large roasting tin, add the onion, toss in the oil and season. Sit the chicken legs on top, coating them with any marinade left in the bowl, and roast for 25 minutes.
Add the lemon slices to the tray and roast for 20 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, the juices run clear, there is no pink meat and the skin is golden. Top with the parsley and pistachios. Serve with spring greens, if liked.
