Lemon Chicken Tray Bake

• porções: 6-8
• tempo total: 50 minutes

Ingredientes

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 tbsp salt

freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for searing

2 lemons, zested and sliced into rounds

½ tsp turmeric (optional)

3 eschalots (French shallots), sliced into rings

Toppings

walnut tahini tarator (see recipe below), at room temperature

2 tbsp toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1-2 tbsp black and white sesame seeds, for garnish

Walnut tahini tarator

¾ cup toasted walnuts, slightly cooled

½ cup tahini

¾ cup water, or more as needed

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Instruções

Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer to a medium bowl and combine with the salt, several grinds of pepper, ¼ cup of the olive oil, and lemon zest. If desired, add the turmeric to give the chicken a pretty, golden hue. Use your hands to toss the chicken pieces in the seasoning until coated (wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after this step, or they will be stained by the turmeric).

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs in the oil skin-side down and cook until the skin has started to brown, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper. Spread out the shallots and lemon rounds evenly and top with the chicken thighs skin-side up. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for a further 5-10 minutes to give the chicken a crispier skin.

To serve, place the chicken, lemon rounds, and shallots on a bed of rice or couscous and pour any pan juices over the top. Drizzle the walnut tahini tarator over the chicken and garnish with the walnuts and a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds.

Walnut Tahini Tarator

In a food processor, blitz the walnuts to a fine meal (a little bit of texture is also fine if you prefer your sauce chunky).

Add the water, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the food processor and pulse until your desired consistency is achieved, adding more water, a little at a time, if necessary, to loosen.

Makes about 1½ cups