Sweetly Spiced Chicken & Potatoes with a Fresh Green Sauce

Chickenanuary: So I was all up for a chicken salad today but you lot voted and you went straight for the Tavuk and Badadez (Chicken & Potatoes) so here it is! I mean you didn’t think I was going to give you bog standard chicken and potato dish did you?! It’s pretty much a 30 minute meal, give or take a couple of mins, and is so ridiculously tasty, as the chicken and potatoes have got a delicious, sweetly spiced cornflower coating (similar to how I prepare my crunchy baked chips). The key is to not overcook the chicken to keep it nice and juicy. And that green sauce you can see? Well that is absolutely DIVINE. I use it to dress green vegetables, and I also use it to spoon over the chicken and the potatoes like I’ve done here.

Serves 4

For the Chicken & Potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika 

1 tsp garlic granules 

1 tsp dried oregano 

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp pul biber 

1/4 tsp coarse black pepper

2 tbsp cornflower 

600g Maris Piper potatoes cut into 2 cm chunks 

6 large garlic cloves, in their skins

600g chicken breast cut into 2 cm thick strips 

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes 

For the Green Sauce

Small handful (approx 20g) fresh coriander 

Small handful (approx 15g) fresh basil 

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

Juice of one lemon (approx 2 tbsp) 

1 small garlic clove, finely grated 

1 tsp red wine vinegar 

2 tsp runny honey 

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tsp dried mint 

1/4 tsp pul biber

1/4 tsp sea salt flakes (season to taste)

Method 

Preheat your oven to 200°C fan / 220°C

Brush a large sheet pan with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and once the oven has heated up place the sheet pan in the oven. Let it heat up for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Place the potatoes and whole garlic cloves into a large bowl and place the chicken into another bowl. Mix together all the ground spices, oregano and the cornflour (not the sea salt flakes) so that they are fully combined. Sprinkle half of it over the potatoes and sprinkle the other half over the chicken strips. Mix the potatoes well and do the same with the chicken. Once the potatoes are fully coated, drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil into the bowl and mix everything together then drizzle another tbsp of olive oil into the chicken and mix well.

Take the sheet pan out of the oven and put the potatoes into the hot oil in the tray. Sprinkle with half of the sea salt flakes and make sure the potatoes are evenly spaced. Pop the tray back in the oven on the middle shelf for around 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile prepare your green sauce. Place all of the green sauce ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the blended sauce into a small bowl. 

After the potatoes have been cooking for about 25-30 minutes, have turned a lovely golden brown colour and have started to crisp up, take the tray out of the oven and nestle all the chicken strips in between the potatoes, giving them a gentle swish in the oil in the pan. Sprinkle over the remaining sea salt flakes, add the thyme sprigs, and pop the tray back in the oven, turning the heat up to 210°C fan 230°C. Cook the chicken and potatoes for about 5 to 7 minutes more but don’t overcook them otherwise the chicken will dry out (check the chicken after 5 mins, they won’t need long at all). Once cooked, take the tray out of the oven and serve immediately with the green sauce. Use the green sauce to also dress cooked green vegetables like I have done here, which is absolutely delicious.