- 400 grams chickpeas (about one 15-ounce can)
- 800 grams (1 3/4 pounds) potatoes
- 1 medium head of garlic, cloves separated
- 8 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
For the marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 to 3 lemons
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon harissa paste (or to your taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to season
To finish/serve:
- 2 teaspoons dry-roasted whole cumin seeds
- 80 grams chopped coriander leaves and stalks (or one small handful)
- 300 milliliters Greek yogurt or tzatziki (or enough for each serving to have a generous dollop)
– PROCESS –
- The day before, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 inch chunks.
- Give the lemons 30 seconds or so in the microwave to help release more juice, or roll on a flat surface while applying a little pressure. Slice in half and squeeze out as much juice as you can. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Place the chicken, chickpeas, potatoes, and garlic in a large freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Flop it around a bit to make sure that the marinade gets everywhere. Place on a plate or in a bowl and pop in the fridge to marinate for a day. Turn the bag over whenever you open the fridge over the next 24 hours. (Alternatively, you can just mix the chicken, marinade, and other ingredients in a bowl, and place that bowl, covered, in the fridge, mixing occasionally as it marinates.)
- An hour or so before you are ready to eat, heat the oven to 200º C (375º F). Remove the bag from the fridge and tumble the contents into a roasting dish large enough for everything to be spread out. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook for 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the chicken skin and potatoes are crispy and cooked through, and the chickpeas get a little crunchy. Watch carefully to make sure the marinade does not go from gooey and delicious to a burnt crisp. Remove from the oven and scatter over the roasted cumin seeds and chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or tzatziki on the side, and prepare to be worshiped.
Recipe provided by Selma at Food52, photo by James Ransom.
